F1 paddock insider weighs in on Alex Albon, Daniel Ricciardo and Yuki Tsunoda's prospects as Sergio Perez's replacement

F1 pundit Lawrence Barretto recently talked about Alex Albon, Daniel Ricciardo, and Yuki Tsunoda being top candidates to replace Sergio Perez in Red Bull.

In the 2022 and 2023 F1 seasons, Sergio Perez's seat had been a constant topic of discussion, especially when he performed poorly in certain races. Despite him finishing third in 2022 and second in the 2023 drivers' championship tables, several rumors about him being replaced emerged.

Checo's current contract expires after the 2024 F1 season, which once again sparks rumors about him being replaced. In his recent column on F1.com, Lawrence Barretto explored drivers who could replace Perez in the future.

He initially mentioned sources suggesting that Williams driver Alex Albon could be heavily linked with Red Bull. The Thai driver had a rocky relationship with the Austrian team. He raced for their B team, Toro Rosso (currently Visa Cash App RB) for a year before being promoted to the top team. He struggled alongside Max Verstappen and was eventually replaced by Sergio Perez after 2020.

The next candidate whom the F1 pundit mentioned was Daniel Ricciardo, who briefly left the F1 grid after leaving McLaren in 2022. He joined Red Bull as a reserve driver and eventually replaced Nyck De Vries mid-season in 2023. Barretto stated that though Ricciardo is on Red Bull's radar, he needs to improve his performance after a poor start to the 2024 F1 season. Ricciardo has not yet scored a point after first three races in 2024.

Lastly, Lawrence Barretto explained how Yuki Tsunoda is not being considered as a possible replacement for Sergio Perez at Red Bull, according to sources. The driver received praise from the British journalist for a relatively better start to the 2024 F1 season compared to his teammate, Ricciardo.

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F1 pundit says various sources claim that Sergio Perez has already extended his contract with Red Bull

F1 pundit Peter Windsor recently stated that, according to various sources, Sergio Perez had already renewed his contract with Red Bull for 2025. He questioned that if this were true, why did Red Bull extended Checo's contract so quickly.

Speaking on his own YouTube channel, he said:

"I heard in the paddock area from various sources that are pretty reliable that Sergio has already renewed his contract for next year. In which case, you'd say, well, what was the rush?"

As of now, neither Red Bull nor Perez have announced anything related to contract extension.

The Mexican driver currently stands in third place in the 2024 F1 drivers' standings with 46 points. He is behind Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc and his teammate Max Verstappen.