Dr. Helmut Marko has indicated some uncertainty over whether Sergio Perez will drive for Red Bull in 2024.
Recent chatter in the Kleine Zeitung newspaper from Austria has highlighted an interesting visit. Daniel Ricciardo, during the August break in the Formula 1 season, made his way to Graz to have a discussion with Marko.
All of this unfolds even though Perez, from Mexico, has a deal in place for the 2024 season.
“Nothing is 100 percent certain in Formula 1,” Marko conveyed to the newspaper regarding Perez’s certainty in the upcoming season. “It just doesn’t exist.
“There are always performance-related situations somewhere that need to be discussed. We’ll take a look and discuss how to proceed in Zandvoort, then we’ll know more,” the veteran of 80 years elaborated.
After an unexpected exit from McLaren due to not meeting performance expectations last season, Ricciardo has now returned as a backup driver for Red Bull this season. Notably, right before the summer break, he took over from Nyck de Vries at Alpha Tauri.
The 34-year-old Australian racer is romantically linked to Heidi Berger, who happens to be the offspring of the renowned Red Bull insider, Gerhard Berger.
In a sequence of events, both Heidi and Ricciardo took a leisure trip to Kitzbuhel and subsequently dined with Marko in Graz.
“We saw each other,” Marko clarified. “That’s clear when he comes to Graz.
“He (Ricciardo) has a very positive personality, a successful career and incredible experience. His momentum and vigour caused a real jolt at Alpha Tauri. It was a real boost of motivation,” he voiced.
From current indications, if there are no other significant developments, Ricciardo is looking at another year with Alpha Tauri.
“There will be a major update at Alpha Tauri and we will see whether the direction is right,” expressed Marko. “A driver like Ricciardo will of course help enormously as he tells you exactly what is good and which updates are useless.”
