Sergio Perez risks losing his F1 drive after Red Bull slap ultimatum to Max Verstappen’s teammate: Reports

Sergio Perez's 2024 seat could be in danger as Red Bull Racing have reportedly given him an ultimatum to finish second in the Drivers' Championship this season.

Reports have emerged about a tough time that Sergio Perez might have to face as the 2023 Formula 1 season ends. It has been mentioned that Red Bull strongly want him to keep his second place in the Drivers' World Championship for this season, unlike last year.

Upon failing to do so, Daniel Ricciardo would replace him in the 2024 season. Meanwhile, there is no guarantee that he will be exchanged at AlphaTauri with the Australian, which will also make way for Liam Lawson to get a permanent seat in the sport.

The start of the season was more than a dream for Sergio Perez as he brought victories in Saudi Arabia and Azerbaijan, however, that has been all till now. He has been losing out in pace in recent Grand Prix tournaments, finishing seconds off Max Verstappen and usually in the midfield, which has made his prospects of finishing second rather tricky.

Currently, there is only a 30-point gap that separates Sergio Perez from Lewis Hamilton in second place. Compared to Max Verstappen, who clinched his third consecutive F1 title in Qatar, this gap is not what the team might have expected, and hence, the ultimatum. Although he has a contract for the 2024 season, the team is known for their performance-based attitude towards drivers.

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Sergio Perez hopes to stay in F1 for the upcoming years

Although the Mexican might not have a seat for the 2024 season itself, he earlier mentioned his wish to stay in the sport for a few more years.

Sergio Perez made his debut in 2011, however, did not win his first race until the 2020 season, largely because of the less competitive cars he had to race in.

He got his first real chance with Red Bull in 2021 and started winning again in 2022. The 2023 season looked to be on his side, but, as mentioned earlier, he did not perform as well as the team (and spectators) might have expected him to.

However, he feels he needs to perform well in the next season to stay in Formula 1 for the next three to four years, as Last Word on Sports quoted him:

"Well, right now I have a contract for next year. And it will be important to have a good year. I have the motivation to continue, and I want to stay for more years."

"Because I believe that I still have a lot to give in Formula 1. I would like to stay in F1 for at least 3-4 more years," he added.

With five races remaining in the 2023 season, Sergio Perez will have to make sure that his performance is up to the mark to keep up his second place in the standings.

Mercedes have been improving which has helped Lewis Hamilton climb the stairs, and it wouldn't be too difficult for the seven-time world champion to get further ahead and take the second place.

In the 2022 season, Perez lost out the second place to Ferrari's Charles Leclerc in the final race at Abu Dhabi.