Sergio Perez dealt warning: “Are contracts worth the paper they’re written on?”

Sergio Perez has been warned that his new Red Bull contract will not protect him if his performances are poor.

Perez ended the intense debate around Red Bull’s 2025 line-up by penning an extension to the contract that was due to expire this year.

However, after a poor F1 Canadian Grand Prix showing last weekend, he has been warned that the likes of Daniel Ricciardo will still be a threat to replace him.

Natalie Pinkham told the F1 Nation podcast: “I was quite surprised that they re-signed Perez and announced it as quickly as they did.

“It works for Max Verstappen. Perhaps there is stuff going on behind the scenes…

“Sergio is, no doubt, a great racer.”

Tom Clarkson replied: “He wasn’t in Montreal!”

Pinkham continued: “He wasn’t. That’s a shame because you’d think his confidence boost of signing a new contract would relax him.

“Sergio, like most drivers, is at his best when relaxed, when he doesn’t have anything to worry about, he can just do it naturally.

“If Daniel puts in regularly strong performances and Checo doesn’t - then are these contracts worth the paper they are written on?

“I doubt it. They’d find a way.

“Equally, it’s no great surprise that Daniel hasn’t been promoted back into the team.

“By his own admission he hasn’t had a great start to the season.

Miami sprint, and Montreal qualy and indeed the race, is proof that he hasn’t lost any of his talent.”

Clarkson said: “We will watch Perez’s progress carefully.

“The past three races have been difficult for him. But that does coincide with the Red Bulls’ least competitive performances of the year.

When the car becomes difficult to drive, the gap between Checo and Max grows.

“When we go to Barcelona, the car will be better and Checo will be closer.

“And if he’s not? That’s when questions will need to be asked.”

Perez missed the cut in Canada qualify to line up a lowly 13th on the grid.

He then failed to finish the grand prix last Sunday, after smashing into the Turn 6 barriers.

To compound a miserable weekend (which his teammate Verstappen won), Perez was hit with a grid penalty for the next grand prix in Spain after staying on track for too long with a broken car.