The rumors have been put to bed and it’s official. Checo Perez has renewed his contract with Red Bull. The announcement was made by the energy drinks team on Tuesday in a statement confirming the Mexican driver has extended his contract for two more seasons, covering him up until the end of the 2026 season.
Checo was due to see his contract with the Milton Keynes-based team end at the end of this campaign.Specifically, the contract would have ended after the Abu Dhabi race and, while he may have had offers from elsewhere, this was the best option.
Perez is extending his deal with the reigning world champions, and he does so after claiming 5 victories and 29 podiums since his arrival in 2021, playing a key role in the first championship Max Verstappen won.
He was always the first choice
In the almost four years he has spent with the Austrian company, Perez has had ups and downs, but he has met the expectations that were asked of him, vying to be the best after Max Verstappen, aware that matching the Dutchman is very difficult.
In 2022, he was third in the drivers’ world championship and in 2023 he was the runner-up. This year, he started in good form and everything seemed to indicate that Helmut Marko and Christian Horner were happy with him, given they said he was “their first choice”, even if they talked to other drivers.
With this official announcement, one of the soap operas of this early silly season comes to a close, and names like Liam Lawson, Yuki Tsunoda, Daniel Ricciardo and Carlos Sainz will not be taking Perez’s seat next year, unless there is a historical twist of script and Max Verstappen leaves the team to join Mercedes, which right now seems unlikely.
Checo is a fundamental piece for the competition. He has an undeniable pull. In fact, he is one of the drivers who attracts the most fans – not to mention the sponsorships he attracts.
The Mexican was happy after his contract extension with Red Bull became official. “I am very happy to commit my future with this great team. It’s a challenge like no other to race with Red Bull. I am delighted to stay here to continue our journey together and contribute to the great history of this team for two more years,” he said.
Perez added: “Being part of the team is a huge challenge, and one that I love. This year we have a great challenge and I have full confidence in the whole team, that the future is bright here and I am excited to be part of it. I want to thank everyone for the trust they place in me, it is a lot and I want to repay them with excellent results on and off the track. There is a lot of work to do and many championships to win together.”
Not touching what works
Christian Horner, head of the Milton Keynes-based team, has emphasized how important it is to resist messing with what already works. “We are very happy to continue working together with Checo. Continuity and stability are important for the team. Checo and Max form a successful and robust partnership,” he said in a statement of his own.
He then looked to the present, adding: “Checo has had a good start to 2024 with his second places in Bahrain, Saudi Arabia and Japan and his podium in China. The last few races have been tough, but we have confidence in Checo and hope he will regain the performance we so often see from him.”
Horner closed his statement with a message of optimism. He concluded: “Last year was a unicorn season and we will have to work hard to retain our titles, but we are confident in our line-up and in the team as a whole, which is imperative in a championship that is shaping up to be very close this year.”
