Sergio Perez is still regarded as Red Bull's "first option" to team up with Max Verstappen in the 2025 Formula 1 season.

Recent speculations indicated that the Mexican driver had rejected a one-year proposal, instead suggesting a contract that extends through 2026.

"Nothing has been signed yet and it's not the time to think about the contract now, my focus is on this weekend," stated Perez, 34, at Monaco.

Fortunately for Perez, he remains a contender for the spot, despite facing challenges during a tough weekend at Imola recently.

"Talks are ongoing and Checo is still our first option," affirmed Red Bull advisor Dr Helmut Marko in an interview with Kleine Zeitung newspaper.

"We want to have clarity on this before the summer break, even if we are certainly not putting any pressure on ourselves," he added.

A potential alternative could be Yuki Tsunoda, who continues to excel in the junior RB team. "He is of course also part of the talks," confirmed Marko.

"In general, we have options in his contract to tie him down for several years."

Some speculate that Red Bull's hesitation may be due to concerns that Verstappen might leave the team due to ongoing internal disputes, following Adrian Newey through the exit door.

"It's quite a change," the triple world champion disclosed to Bloomberg. "It's really a shame that Adrian is leaving the team."

"But I completely trust the team for the future. The confidence is very high and I look forward to the coming years."

Verstappen consistently emphasizes that his primary requirement is to have the fastest car available. "Well, it doesn't work like that," he grinned in Monaco when told that he might therefore consider a move to McLaren. "I mean, I think we still have a very, very fast car. So I'm happy where I'm at."

Nevertheless, Toto Wolff is hopeful that potential concerns about Honda's impending exit and Red Bull's capacity to develop its own engine for 2026 might unsettle Verstappen.

"There's so much investment going on with the engine side of things," Verstappen maintains. "And I'm happy."

"I mean, I think if you start thinking like that, you could almost change teams every single race. But it's not on my mind."

Yet, internal tensions might intensify at Red Bull, especially with the expected arrival of Max's father Jos, and Red Bull co-owner Mark Mateschitz, in Monaco this weekend.

"Let's see how it goes for us here," Marko remarked in Monaco. "The gap is shrinking and we've had problems in practice and qualifying lately."

"For me, (Ferrari's Charles) Leclerc is one of the main favourites because he was always incredibly fast here and often had bad luck, so he will be extremely motivated to have a say in the victory." body check tags ::