25 August 2023 , 13:37
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Helmut Marko refused to rule out the possibility that Red Bull might perform a U-turn on its current plans for Sergio Perez.
As it stands, the Mexican has a contract with the team for the 2024 season. Both Marko and team principal Christian Horner have repeatedly stated their intent to honour that, despite Perez's struggles for form in comparison to team-mate Max Verstappen.
But Marko's latest comments on the situation were a little different. Asked about the future of that seat, the Austrian was reluctant to give a definitive answer when speaking with Kleine Zeitung. "Nothing is 100 per cent certain in Formula 1, it just doesn't exist," he said.
"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 shift in stance comes after Marko met with Daniel Ricciardo over the summer break. Back on the F1 grid with sister team AlphaTauri, the Aussie has made no secret of his desire to return to the Red Bull race seat currently occupied by Perez.
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And Marko has clearly been impressed. He said: "We saw each other, that's clear when he comes to Graz. He has a very positive personality, a successful career, and incredible experience. His momentum and vigour caused a real jolt at AlphaTauri. That was a real boost of motivation.
"There will be a major update at AlphaTauri and you will see whether the direction is right. We hope that will be the case and that it will soon be possible to score points. A driver like Ricciardo will, of course, help you in this situation enormously – he tells you exactly what is good and which updates are useless."
Meanwhile, Ricciardo told Mirror Sport at Zandvoort that he wants that return to Red Bull – but will still be happy at AlphaTauri if the opportunity does not come along. He said: "Being back here, it just feels very right for me. I do like Helmut and his hard approach – I’m a nice, easygoing person but his approach really does work for me. I think it gets a little more out of myself.
"The chemistry in the team is really good and I like that. The big picture would be to get back to that team and that car one day, but I also said that if there is not an opening then I want to stay here. The team is going through a rebuild for next year and if I can contribute and get this team more towards the front and to be taken more seriously, that's it. If it's not the big team, it's here."