The Red Bull team had to face a complicated situation in the Formula 1 season, with results below expectations from their drivers Sergio Pérez and Daniel Ricciardo. While Pérez finished in 17th position in one of his worst performances, Ricciardo also lacked shine in his performance, which practically closed his path back to Red Bull.
Due to this, the team was forced to extend Pérez's contract for approximately 20 million dollars for another year, despite initially planning to fire him at the end of the season. With Ricciardo's performance not meeting expectations, Red Bull announced that for the 2025 season, driver Liam Lawson would take Sergio Pérez's place.
This decision, surprising to many, showed the constant pressure within the team to maintain a high level of performance. Christian Horner, the team director, mentioned the need to closely observe other drivers in internal words, indicating that the team's patience was wearing thin.
After evaluating several options such as Daniel Ricciardo, Yuki Tsunoda, and Liam Lawson to accompany Max Verstappen, the disappointing performances of Ricciardo in Hungary and Spa made it clear that he did not meet Red Bull's standards. Despite doubts about Pérez, the team decided to keep him for the rest of the season, although they were always on the lookout for alternatives.
Amid the tension at Red Bull during the 2024 season, where Sergio Pérez's future was at stake, other driver options such as Ricciardo, Tsunoda, and Lawson were seriously considered. The Netflix documentary revealed the growing doubts within the team and Christian Horner's concerns about declining performances on track, leading to thorough assessments of possible changes in the driver.
