Max Verstappen and Lando Norris provided plenty of entertainment during the final laps of the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix after much of the race was decided by an intriguing tactical battle.
Teams had to time their pit stops perfectly to give their drivers the best chance of overtaking at Imola which wasn’t well suited for close-quarter battles and DRS had little effect when drivers were on the same tyres.
Journalist Andrew Benson was speaking on The Chequered Flag Podcast and analysing how the race unfolded.
Several drivers were hailed for their performances, including Yuki Tsunoda who scored another point for Visa Cash App RB.
Oscar Piastri looked quicker than both Ferrari drivers but simply couldn’t find a way past Carlos Sainz or Charles Leclerc on track.
However, there were also a few drivers that will want to quickly forget about this weekend.
Max Verstappen’s Red Bull teammate Sergio Perez is one of those drivers who will want to move on from Imola after his toughest event of the season.
Missing out on Q3 harked back to the issues the 39-podium driver suffered in 2023.
He then gambled on the alternative strategy and was waiting for a safety car that never arrived.
READ MORE: Red Bull driver Sergio Perez’s life outside F1 from net worth to nickname
Sergio Perez did his Red Bull future no favours at Imola
Half the drivers on the F1 grid are still looking to secure their future beyond the 2024 season.
Sergio Perez is one of them and arguably in the most coveted seat on the grid alongside Verstappen.
As the Dutchman has proved, it’s the car that’s most capable of winning races in the paddock even if McLaren have closed the gap.
Perez started the campaign with three 2-place finishes in the first four races.
Since then, Perez has finished on the podium behind Lando Norris in China and then finished 4 and 8 in Miami and Emilia Romagna which isn’t good enough for Red Bull.
With the gaps between the top three teams closing, Perez needs to be on par with his teammate to appease Christian Horner and Helmut Marko.
If he can’t reach those levels, then Red Bull will quickly be assessing what options exist in the driver market.
READ MORE: Everything you need to know about Red Bull Racing from engine to Ford links
Red Bull face a conundrum heading into the 2025 season
Speaking about the Mexican’s performance at Imola, Benson said: “Charles Leclerc took 3rd place today, a bit of a lonely race for him, not able to challenge the two guys in front of him but clear of the rest.
“But it just goes to show that he’s had such a strong season, very consistent and generally getting the best out of that car.
“But I think it speaks a lot for Leclerc’s season so far over seven races, it also speaks a lot for Sergio Perez who’s the guy who he’s replaced in 2-place [in the Drivers’ Championship].
“[Max] Verstappen’s won five out of seven races now and Perez hasn’t.
“He finished 8 today after starting 11, OK, it’s difficult to overtake at Imola but that’s not good enough when you’re driving a Red Bull.
“It’s not going to do his hopes of staying in that team any good at all.”
Who could Red Bull replace Sergio Perez with for the 2025 F1 season?
Red Bull will hope that Perez’s disappointing weekend at Imola is a one-off rather than the start of a downward trend.
Last season, the 34-year-old’s form fell away after the race in Miami and Perez needs to make sure that doesn’t happen again this year.
Alex Albon was one option for Red Bull but has now committed his future to Williams.
Daniel Ricciardo is being outperformed by Yuki Tsunoda at RB but the Japanese driver isn’t under consideration for a promotion, while it would be a huge stretch to promote Liam Lawson straight into the senior team.
The most obvious option is Carlos Sainz and he’s holding off on signing a contract with Audi to see what happens with Perez.
His incredible start to the campaign has dropped off slightly but he may feel he’s in a head-to-head race with Perez to be Max Verstappen’s teammate next year.
The post ‘Not good enough’: BBC journalist says 39-podium driver hurt his hopes of earning 2025 deal in Imola appeared first on F1 Oversteer.