F1 pundit says various sources claim Sergio Perez has already renewed his Red Bull contract

F1 pundit Peter Windsor has claimed that sources have informed him that Sergio Perez had already renewed his contract with Red Bull.

The Mexican's current contract with the defending world champions expires after the 2024 F1 season. This has led to speculation about which driver could fill Checo's shoes if he left the Austrian team after 2024. The Mexican felt some pressure from the likes of Daniel Ricciardo and Yuki Tsunoda, who drove for Red Bull's B team Visa CashApp RB and aimed to get his seat.

After Ferrari announced that Lewis Hamilton would be replacing Carlos Sainz in 2025, the latter also became a potential candidate to replace Sergio Perez.

Speaking on his YouTube channel, Peter Windsor shared that he heard from reliable sources in the paddock that Perez had already renewed his contract with Red Bull.

"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?" Windsor said.

Windsor added that if Perez's contract renewal rumor is true, Red Bull's doors would be closed for Carlos Sainz.

"And if that's the case, well, that door obviously then is closed for Carlos Sainz," he added.

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Red Bull senior pinpoints one area where Sergio Perez needs to improve

Amid speculation about Sergio Perez's future with Red Bull, senior advisor Helmut Marko addressed one area where the Mexican needs to improve to secure his seat with the defending world champions.

Speaking to laola1.at, Marko said that Checo only needs to improve his qualifying performance. If Perez could clock in fast laps during qualifying, the Austrian believes that Red Bull would not have any reason to replace him.

"His [Checo's] only weakness is in qualifying, if he can improve there, there's no need to think about it [replacing him]. The atmosphere in the team is very good, also as far as he is concerned," Marko said.

While commenting on Carlos Sainz's recent bump in performance, Marko also praised Sergio Perez for delivering in the first three races of the 2024 F1 season.

"Of course, his [Sainz] form is fascinating. But it has to be said that Checo delivered three good races this year. The fact that he dropped back so much in Melbourne was due to the damaged underbody and tire degradation," he added.

After the 2024 F1 Australian GP, Sergio Perez is third in the drivers' championship with 46 points. His teammate and defending world champion Max Verstappen is leading the table with 51 points.