The New Zealand driver has shown good performance since joining Formula 1. However, the decision about his future at Red Bull is in the hands of the sister team, AlphaTauri, as the strategy of moving successful drivers to Red Bull to strengthen the constructors' championship could impact AlphaTauri. For this reason, other drivers like Franco Colapinto, who is currently without a team, are also being considered as options.
On his part, Sergio 'Checo' Pérez is facing difficulties on track that worry his team and colleagues at Red Bull. While his problems so far mainly affected the drivers' championship, his poor performance could also harm Red Bull's chances of remaining competitive against Ferrari and McLaren in the battle for the constructors' championship.
Currently, McLaren leads the constructors' championship with 566 points, followed by Ferrari with 29 points less, while Red Bull is in third place with 512 points. Losing positions in this respect could mean a considerable financial loss for Red Bull, as each position in the championship equals 10 million dollars, which would represent a total decrease of 20 million dollars compared to what was projected.
Despite Pérez's performance being affected by issues with the RB20 car, the driver has pointed out various difficulties throughout the season that have prevented him from reaching the podium since the Miami Grand Prix. Finishing behind McLaren and Ferrari would have serious consequences for Red Bull, which has relied on the financial prize obtained in the constructors' championship in previous seasons.
In this context, the choice of Max Verstappen's partner for the next season becomes crucial for Red Bull. Among the possible replacements for 'Checo' Pérez is the name Liam Lawson, who is currently the backup for Daniel Ricciardo at AlphaTauri and could be considered to take the place of the Mexican.
