Sergio Perez 'faces Red Bull axe' as surprising leading replacement emerges

Sergio Perez is reportedly in danger of losing his seat just four races after putting pen to paper on a contract extension with Red Bull. Daniel Ricciardo would be the leading candidate to replace the Mexican, despite a mixed start to the 2024 campaign.

Perez's future has been a near-weekly topic of contention since the midway part of the 2023 campaign, and Red Bull moved to end that speculation ahead of the race in Canada, awarding the 34-year-old a two-year contract extension.

However, since that announcement, the six-time Grand Prix winner has recorded two DNFs, a P8 finish and a P7 last time out in Austria.

Such underwhelming performances have reignited conversations about his position at Red Bull, and according to a report from Auto Motor und Sport, it is possible that Ricciardo could be called upon to replace the struggling Mexican.

This would be a dramatic twist for the experienced Aussie, who has endured his own struggles throughout 2024. After 10 races, Ricciardo trails team-mate Yuki Tsunoda 19-11 in the points battle and faces a threat against his own seat from Liam Lawson.

While Perez still has time to turn his fortunes around, he will need to act fast to restore faith in his ability. Otherwise, with the field still converging, the picture in both World Championships will continue to deteriorate.

Assessing the form of Red Bull's second driver ahead of the British Grand Prix, Christian Horner said: "We thought the contract would help. It's something Checo is working very hard on, and he knows.

"Look, this is a sport where there is no hiding. Particularly with Max Verstappen as your teammate, he knows he's being measured against the very best.

"We need him up there, supporting Max. There's two McLarens, two Ferraris, two Mercedes and we desperately need two Red Bulls."