Sergio Pérez stays the front-runner to stick with Crimson Bull in 2025, sources have informed ESPN.

Pérez, whose contract expires on the finish of 2024, endured a troublesome weekend on the Monaco Grand Prix, qualifying 18th earlier than being concerned in a collision on the primary lap.

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Crimson Bull has been in no rush to decide about his future, with Carlos Sainz nonetheless but to resolve what he does subsequent 12 months when Lewis Hamilton replaces him at Ferrari.

Sainz is known to be monitoring the state of affairs at Crimson Bull earlier than committing to both Williams or Sauber (which can change into Audi in 2026), with the long-term way forward for Max Verstappen additionally unsure past 2025.

Verstappen, who has doubts about Crimson Bull’s 2026 engine challenge, has been linked with a transfer to Mercedes for that season, which is the beginning of a brand new set of rules.

Nonetheless, it appears to be like unlikely Crimson Bull go for Sainz at this stage. A number of sources have informed ESPN that Crimson Bull nonetheless favour Pérez and that solely a drastic drop in kind over the following few races might change that state of affairs, which strains up with crew boss Christian Horner’s feedback to the media after the Monaco Grand Prix.

“This weekend’s been fairly brutal for him,” Horner stated on Sunday. “Clearly we have to guarantee that we now have acquired each vehicles up there scoring factors, as a result of we can not dismiss the specter of Ferrari and McLaren in each championships.

“Checo’s first six races, he was very robust, qualifying on the entrance row and ending second and third and scoring very effectively. We simply must get again into that place of confidence and to not see a dip.”

Requested if Pérez’s previous couple of outcomes have delayed a call, Horner stated: “Probably not. I believe that it is extra our timing. We’ll decide within the fullness of time.”

Till Crimson Bull decides what to do with Pérez, it’s probably Williams and Audi shall be ready on Sainz.

Audi is overseeing negotiations at Sauber, having introduced ahead its funding within the crew earlier this 12 months.

Audi has already signed Nico Hülkenberg to its challenge and is known to be contemplating back-up choices in case Sainz goes elsewhere, though the corporate’s may discover it troublesome to seek out one other marquee signing with race-winning pedigree.

Williams have been in talks with Sainz ever since Ferrari determined to interchange him with Lewis Hamilton subsequent 12 months and over the Monaco Grand Prix it emerged they’re more and more assured of securing his providers from 2025 onwards.