Former F1 race winner Johnny Herbert believes Red Bull need to drop Sergio Perez “sooner rather than later” – and should be replaced by RB driver Yuki Tsunoda.
Perez has a contract with Red Bull until the end of 2025 – with an option for 2026 – but has struggled as Max Verstappen’s teammate this year. He has not won a race since April 2023 and trails Verstappen in the championship by 204 points.
The 34-year-old finished seventh in the US Grand Prix on Sunday, while Verstappen finished on the podium. Perez’s future is shrouded in doubt ahead of his home race in Mexico City this weekend.
Red Bull have also relinquished top spot in the constructors’ championship to McLaren and now Ferrari trail them by just eight points. Herbert says now is the time for Christian Horner to make a change.
“Sergio is delivering but not quite delivering enough so do they replace him now? I think yes, if they’re trying to keep that second place in the constructors,” Herbert said.
“Whether they have the cojones to do it before Sergio Perez’s home race in Mexico is the question - I’d say yes, because of the way the constructors is playing out at the moment. Maybe they will keep Perez in Mexico and then make the call for Brazil.
“They need to do it sooner rather than later if they are going to do it, but it should have happened earlier.”
With RB’s Liam Lawson impressing in Austin and finishing in the top-10, the New Zealander – who replaced Daniel Ricciardo – has been linked with a step up to Red Bull for 2025. However, Herbert says Lawson’s teammate Tsunoda deserves a bite of the cherry.
“It’s Yuki Tsunoda who should come in, I think Yuki has done a brilliant job this year,” Herbert added, speaking to Genting Casinos.
“He’s very consistent as well. His qualifying has been very, very strong and he’s always been very good at qualifying. His race was always probably his weak link. But I think that’s improved as well, his race pace has really got better as well. I’d like to see someone like Yuki get that chance because I think he’s earned it.
“Being up against Max is a very tough job, but I think from his consistency I see, maybe he won’t be as quick as Max, but I think he’ll be not too far behind. So I’d like Yuki to be given a chance, to be honest.”
Perez will be eyeing a much-needed return to form at the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez this weekend.
