Red Bull has a Sergio Perez problem

Max Verstappen clinched his fourth world championship in a row with his fifth-place finish in the Las Vegas Grand Prix. For Red Bull, that will be the only trophy it takes home from the 2024 season.

Red Bull currently sits third in the Constructors' Championship behind Ferrari and McLaren. It got off to a hot start this season but has since dropped off. That can be pinpointed to one reason: the poor performances from Sergio Perez this season.

Perez got off to a good start this season, finishing on the podium in four of the first five races, but has since seen his form take a nosedive. The Red Bull driver has not finished in the top six in a race since the Miami Grand Prix back in early May, and these poor performances have made Red Bull too reliant on Verstappen.

Through 22 races this season, Perez has totaled 152 points compared to Verstappen, who has scored 403 points. For Red Bull, this is far from ideal. If the team hopes to compete with the likes of Ferrari and McLaren for the Constructors' Championship, it cannot have one of its drivers outscore the other by over 250 points.

Another problem for Red Bull is Perez's frequent crashes. He had crashes in Monaco and Canada, as well as in qualifying for the Hungarian Grand Prix. These crashes have cost Red Bull a pretty penny, which is not ideal with such a strict cost cap. 

This leaves Red Bull in a tough situation. Should it look to replace Perez for the 2025 season? In June, he signed a new contract through 2026, but given his current form, it would make sense if Red Bull looks to move on.

Red Bull's Helmut Marko has alluded that team leadership will meet after the season ends to discuss Perez's future with the team. 

If Red Bull does move on from Perez, some options who could come in to partner with Verstappen would be either Yuki Tsunoda or Liam Lawson, who currently drives for Red Bull's sister team, VCARB. Another potential option is Williams driver Franco Colapinto, who, at the moment, is without a seat in 2025.