F1 News: Max Verstappen Jumps To Sergio Perez's Defense After Abu Dhabi Retirement

Max Verstappen publicly defends Sergio Perez amid speculations about Perez's uncertain future with Red Bull Racing following his retirement at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.

MONZA, ITALY - SEPTEMBER 01: Max Verstappen of the Netherlands and Oracle Red Bull Racing looks on in the garage prior to the F1 Grand Prix of Italy at Autodromo Nazionale Monza on September 01, 2024 in Monza, Italy. (Photo by Mark Thompson/Getty Images) / Red Bull Content Pool

Sergio Perez's tumultuous 2024 season with Red Bull has sparked rumors and speculations about his future within the team. Following his retirement during the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, Perez's position for the 2025 season appears uncertain. Amidst the whirlwind of media speculation, his teammate, Max Verstappen, has stepped forward to defend Perez.

The four-time champion has not shied away from offering public support for Perez. He explained to the media following the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix:

"I always worked really well with Checo. He's a great guy, honestly. It's very rare that you have a teammate like him who has always been very good and just a nice guy to us."

Verstappen further addressed the criticism surrounding Perez by stressing that both drivers faced significant team challenges this season. He noted that "sometimes people have been very harsh on him," urging critics to take a more comprehensive view of the team's struggles rather than pinning them solely on individual driver performance. He added:

"I do. I work with him every weekend, week in, week out. I find people have been very harsh on him. Of course, some weekends maybe could have been better, actually, but sometimes people have been very harsh on him because he's not an idiot. He's always been regarded as a great driver and it's been tough, but it's been tough for everyone in the team because sometimes it was just very difficult to drive [the car]."

The ongoing speculations about Perez's future with Red Bull are fueled by his inconsistent 2024 season results. While he began the year with promising podium finishes, his overall performance has not met the expectations set by Verstappen's consistent success. The intense pressure from the constructors' championship standings, with Red Bull ranked third, has not helped his case.

Even though the Mexican driver maintains that he has a contract with Red Bull for the 2025 season, rumors about potential replacements are rife. VCARB drivers Liam Lawson and Yuki Tsunoda are considered strong contenders.

Whilst speaking to the media after retiring from the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix due to a Lap 1 incident, Perez commented on his uncertain future with Red Bull:

"Well at the moment I don’t know," Perez said. "I just know I’ve got a contract to race this year, unless something changes in the coming days that’s going to be the situation next year." 

He added: "I’ve got a contract which I signed earlier in the year to race for the team for the next two years. So we’ll see what happens and how the conversation goes in the coming days."