Red Bull has been in crisis mode for months. The rise of McLaren and the resurrection of Mercedes has changed the trajectory of the Formula One Constructors Championship Standings. Mercedes and McLaren consistently compete for wins with both drivers while Red Bull is left with only Max Verstappen at the front fighting for wins. With Verstappen in the front competing for wins while his teammate Sergio (aka Checo) Perez is fighting to stay in points the question has to be asked, Is it time to replace Checo and can Red Bull replace Checo?
Can Red Bull Replace Checo?
Checo has scored just 15 points in the last in the last six races. HAAS’s Nico Hulkenberg has outscored him in much lesser equipment and in the same span Verstappen has scored 119 points. Before Miami Checo was second in points but has since tumbled to sixth and is in danger of falling to eighth if Mercedes puts together another big weekend.
Checo has failed to score points at Monaco, Canada, and now Silverstone while Verstappen won in Canada and finished second in Silverstone. Verstappen is currently outpacing Checo to the tune of a 137-point difference in the driver standings which is reportedly enough to activate his performance clause.
The points and his placement in the standings could allow Red Bull to activate a reported performance clause. According to sources if Checo is 100 points behind his teammate and five places in the standings behind Verstappen Red Bull could terminate Checo’s contract. Team Principal Christian Horner was asked about Checo’s string of bad races after Silverstone:
He knows it’s unsustainable to not be scoring points. We have to be scoring points in that car and he knows that. He knows his role and his target, so nobody is more eager than Checo to find his form again.
Red Bull’s Options
The fact that Checo signed an extension appears to be irrelevant. That opens the door back up for the two RB drivers Daniel Ricciardo and Yuki Tsunoda. The fan favorite is Daniel Ricciardo who is charismatic and had success with the team in his first stint (2014-2018) where he won seven races and 29 podiums. Riccardo finished third in the point standings twice.
The other RB driver is Yuki Tsunoda who is a younger prospect but has shown promise this year. Tsunoda has scored 20 points so far this year, already outscoring his point total in 2023 and 2022. RB missed the regulation change in 2022 but is returning to be a formidable mid-pack team again. Tsunoda has outscored his veteran counterpart this year and should be the frontrunner to replace Checo should Red Bull fire him.
There are two longshot drivers to be the potential fill-ins for the rest of the year. The first is Liam Lawson who is the reserve driver for RB and is rumored to be in the RB next year. The other longshot is four-time world champion Sebastian Vettel who retired in 2022. Many fans are hoping to see Vettel do what Fernando Alonso did and come out of retirement and have another run in Formula One.
Constructors Title in Danger
With Red Bull not improving at the same rate as Mercedes or McLaren the two-time defending constructors champions could be in danger of losing the battle with the number two driver being missing from the front of the field. McLaren has two young talented drivers it is only a matter of time before Red Bull falls to the luxury car brand.
Mercedes who have a rich history in Formula One seems to have bounced back after missing the mark on the 2022 regulation changes. Seven-time champion Lewis Hamilton has finally returned to the top step of the podium and his younger teammate George Russell has improved since Canada grabbing the pole in Canada and Silverstone and stealing the victory in Austria.
Teams have not only closed the gap to Red Bull but have overtaken Red Bull in speed. Verstappen’s raw talent has kept the energy drink company in the championship picture. However, he won’t be able to single-handedly win the constructor title like last year if he doesn’t get support from a number two driver Red Bull will not be constructor champions.
About The Author
Dillon Hildreth is a writer for Total Apex and a lifelong fan of Football with his favorite teams being the New England Patriots and the Georgia Bulldogs. Dillon is also a fan of Motorsports Red Bull in Formula One and William Byron in NASCAR. You can catch Dillon Stream F1, NASCAR, and other video games and side casts on Twitch.
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