With Max Verstappen securing his fourth consecutive drivers' championship and the constructors' title now deemed almost "impossible" to win, Red Bull advisor Dr Helmut Marko is already focused on 2025.
Central to those plans is determining who will partner Verstappen, with a decision on Sergio Perez's future expected after the Abu Dhabi finale.
"That will be decided after the finale in Abu Dhabi," Marko told Osterreich newspaper. "In any case, Checo is acting as if he will drive for us for another year."
Despite Perez's confidence, speculation is rife about potential replacements. Team boss Christian Horner was spotted in the Williams area during the Las Vegas GP weekend, fueling rumors linking rookie Franco Colapinto to Perez's seat. Liam Lawson, however, is widely regarded as the frontrunner for the role.
An interviewer for Osterreich newspaper remarked that "no one can imagine that Checo Perez will remain Verstappen's Red Bull teammate in 2025," to which Marko responded cautiously and without a denial.
Red Bull is also anticipating fierce competition for the 2025 championship. Marko praised Mercedes for their dominant performance in Las Vegas, where they not only won but excelled across all sessions.
"In Las Vegas, Mercedes not only won, which was a complete surprise, but they were really dominant in all sessions," Marko said. "They were just unlucky that we won the world championship, so their strong performance was overshadowed."
However, Marko remains uncertain about Mercedes' consistency.
"They have to find consistency," he noted. "In Las Vegas there were special conditions due to the low temperatures. Let's wait and see if they perform in the last two races, which I don't think they will. Hopefully, we can win at least one of them."
Marko also commented on Ferrari's 2025 lineup, with Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton forming a formidable driver pairing. He predicted that Ferrari could be stronger but expressed curiosity about team harmony.
"(George) Russell was already more dominant than Hamilton this year," said Marko. "In terms of drivers, Ferrari will be stronger next year, although I'm curious to see whether they will have great harmony in the team."
Meanwhile, McLaren, Verstappen's primary rival in 2024 via Lando Norris, has faced questions over whether the banning of their 'mini DRS' rear wing contributed to their recent performance dip. Norris dismissed those claims.
"People can say whatever they want and believe all the BS they tell themselves," Norris said. "The fact is, the (wing) made a lot less of a difference than some people say." body check tags ::
