Sergio Perez contract extension is a mistake by Red Bull, here's why!

Sergio Perez will be a Red Bull driver until the end of the 2026 F1 season. The driver was offered a two-year contract extension by the team, which was accepted by the Mexican.

The opinion seems to be divided when it comes to whether or not Sergio Perez should have been given a contract extension. The Mexican is not someone who has been a consistent performer throughout this partnership. Neither has he been able to pick up the pieces whenever Max Verstappen failed.

The fact that he still got an extension is a sign of Red Bull trying to keep a stable driver lineup in place as it tries to focus on the other things at hand.

Unfortunately, this decision is something that's going to prove to be a misstep by the team in the short and long run. Let's take a look.

Rewarding Sergio Perez's poor run

What message does it send out, especially since Sergio Perez currently finds himself in P5 in the championship and has not been a factor at the front in the last three races? The driver has been a major failure in terms of backing up Max Verstappen, and his performances have just not improved.

One has to question why Red Bull was so eager to extend Sergio Perez's contract when the performance was just not there. Last season, the Mexican was on the verge of losing his seat owing to poor results. This season, despite no improvement in the results, he's kept his seat. Somewhere, it all just doesn't add up.

Constructors championship is at risk

The last three races have seen both McLaren and Ferrari make serious inroads in the constructors' championship against Red Bull. Why? Because both of those teams have two strong drivers dragging the results out of the cars every weekend.

This just doesn't happen with Sergio Perez whenever pressure is high. Most importantly, the problem persists in qualifying, which is the Mexican's biggest weakness. He continues to struggle on that front and ends up having too much to do in the race.

With Ferrari and McLaren snapping at the heels of Red Bull, Sergio Perez is going to prove to be a liability in the constructors' championship battle.

Max Verstappen's future at Red Bull is doubtful

It has been suggested that keeping Perez was a ploy to keep Max Verstappen happy within the team. It's hard to deny that there's quite clearly some tension between the driver and the team.

Ever since Christian Horner won the mandate within the team, Helmut Marko and Jos Verstappen have seemingly continued with the somewhat snarky comments about the team and the leadership in general.

If all of a sudden, Max Verstappen announces that he's leaving the team, at that time does it make sense to have Perez in the other car? The team needed a stronger alternative but has somewhat cornered itself for the next two seasons.