Red Bull driver Sergio Perez’s future at the team is notably in doubt following an inconsistent performance last year as well as his fractious relationship with teammate Max Verstappen. A number of drivers have been touted to replace the Mexican when his contract expires at the end of the season, with the Milton Keynes-based outfit reportedly already assessing its options.
While it was previously reported that Daniel Ricciardo tops the ‘wish-list’ as far as team principal Christian Horner is concerned, Nico Hulkenberg also appears to have a realistic chance of being offered the role.
The panelists at The Race believe that although Ricciardo and Liam Lawson are the main favourites, Hulkenberg is also viewed as a viable option owing to his wealth of experience in F1. The bosses seem to believe that Hulkenberg will be happy to play a similar second-fiddle role to Verstappen and thereby eliminate the chances of internal problems.
Hulkenberg has talent behind the wheels, but has often come up short due to an inept car. However, if he gets into a Red Bull, his consistency is almost surely going to be something that the team would like to build on.
Hulkenberg comfortably outclassed his teammate Kevin Magnussen over the 2023 season, with a top-10 position in qualifying a regular feature. In the sprint race at the Austrian GP, Hulkenberg caught everyone’s attention with a P6 finish.
Perez, meanwhile, started the season well with two wins in the opening four races, only to see a lack of consistency lead to no further GP triumphs, while Verstappen marched to an unprecedented 19 wins out of 22 scheduled races.
Horner has publicly stated that Perez’s chances of securing a contract extension rest on his hands, but there is a growing belief that he may be shown the exit door even before the season ends if he fails to impress the Red Bull management.