Perez will be hoping to do enough in the season-ending races to keep his place on the grid next year
Bro! If he is in that car come next year then there is some serious kompromat on Horner and Marko!
Horner and Marko are not the shareholders. They likely have a big influence on this decision - but in the end it is like with Gene Haas: the owners make the decision.
Or he brings a ton of cash to the table.
I just cannot see how it is worth it, given the team is a marketing exercise for a fizzy drink. I don’t see how any amount of sponsorship cash can offset the damage done by being a bad team
I think Red Bulls priorities have changed since the death of Mateschitz. He was more interested in sporting success itself, the current owners are more interested in finances. And for marketing purposes the WDC doesn’t actually matter much, it’s only the Driver’s Champion that people really care about, hence also what sponsors care about. Mercedes won the WCC in '21 but nobody cares or remembers. And the marketing upside Perez brings (at least so far) has been very enticing. I don’t really get why (might just be fiery nationalist pride) but Perez is unspeakably popular in Mexico - and even extended to Latin America in general. As far as I know he sells the most merch in the entire sport and brings in the most sponsors. He brings a huge amount of value for shareholders.
i think it’s about the market in south america. saw multiple comments on reddit explaining it like this: RB doesn’t care a lot about the WCC, they would obv like it, but the WDC is their main target. also makes sense, as this is the thing that is publicly most known and advertised with. RB still won the WDC and has a big market to successfully advertise in with perez in south america. they actually got what they wanted. and i kinda believe it to be the reason. i mean, they are not dumb, they know, perspective and WCC-wise, that Perez is not the option.
You are correct. But the question the shareholders will have to answer is whether he can be replaced by a better driver. The only driver doing well next to Verstappen was Ricciardo.
finally the big story arc completes and my boy ric is back in an RB
but to be honest: i think they will and need to ask for sainz. he is and was in a great form, has good experience, and is (if the media speculation about him having an exit clause that he can leave if one of the big three teams ask him is true) a free agent.
They need to replace him. But who is ready to do that?
