It seems that Red Bull Racing has a driver problem. Sergio Perez is nowhere near Max Verstappen on track this season. As the reigning world champion is forced to essentially race alone against McLaren and Mercedes. This could force Milton Keynes to pull the plug on Perez for good.
There are rumors that Red Bull could replace Checo with Daniel Ricciardo after the summer break. Dr. Helmut Marko has revealed that the team will evaluate its options regarding Perez’s seat. While it is likely that this will remain with the current driver pool consisting of Ricciardo, Yuki TsunodaAnd Liam Lawson.
However, Daniel Ricciardo has not had his best season so far this year. While Tsunoda is not on Red Bull’s list to replace Sergio Perez. Furthermore, Liam Lawson would have to spend a year at RB before being promoted to Red Bull. Therefore, it might be time for Red Bull to look outside its driver pool again.
Who would be the best option to replace Sergio Perez?
Carlos Sainz was seen as the number one option to replace Checo after he lost his Ferrari seat to Lewis Hamilton. However, Red Bull did not want to repeat the heated atmosphere at Toro Rosso when Sainz was Max Verstappen’s teammate.
Nico Hulkenberg (via IMAGO)
Looking at the rest of the grid, Nico Hulkenberg stands out as the most consistent and trouble-free driver. The German driver was in talks to race for Red Bull in 2021 before the team signed Sergio Perez. However, Hulkenberg is under contract with Audi for next season.
Nevertheless, Red Bull could try to terminate the German’s contract and it is unlikely that Hulkenberg would turn down such an opportunity. The 36-year-old has delivered impressive results for Haas over the past two seasons and has stayed away from any major incidents. Moreover, Nico Hulkenberg could finally end his podium drought if he races for Red Bull. The German driver would certainly be a better match for Verstappen than Perez.
It is unlikely that Red Bull will consider Hulkenberg for the time being. However, Milton Keynes must understand that they need a consistent driver to accompany Verstappen, and Hulkenberg could be the best option in this regard. Other available drivers such as Valtteri Bottas or Esteban Ocon simply haven’t produced the same results. It remains to be seen whether Sergio Perez will actually be replaced in the coming weeks.
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