Max Verstappen has three potential new team-mates after Red Bull talks come to light

Sergio Perez is not guaranteed to continue as Max Verstappen’s team-mate from 2023 and Red Bull have apparently told Pierre Gasly that a change in personal could take place after next season. Perez has impressed in his debut year with the Austrian team as he played a big part in helping Verstappen win the Drivers’ Championship.

Perez held up Lewis Hamilton in a dramatic fight at the season-ending Abu Dhabi Grand Prix to allow Verstappen back into the race.

But the Mexican only has 12 months remaining on his contract and Red Bull are assessing all of their options.

“First of all, obviously, my priority is with Red Bull, but at the moment they’ve decided to continue with Sergio,” Gasly said.

“I don’t know what they’re going to plan. They’re saying that probably 2023 there could be an option.

“I’ll try to put myself in the best position for that, but it’s a discussion that we know we’re going to have next year with Red Bull.”

Express Sport takes a look at which drivers could replace Perez if Red Bull are to opt for change.

Pierre Gasly

Gasly is an obvious choice given he is in constant contact with the Red Bull hierarchy.

The Frenchman made his F1 debut in 2017 with Toro Rosso and he earned a promotion to the main Red Bull team in 2019.

However, that was short-lived as Gasly was brutally demoted back to the junior team Toro Rosso midway through the season.

The team rebranded to AlphaTauri for the 2020 campaign and Gasly has continued to shine proving that he may be ready for another shot in a Championship-winning car.

Yuki Tsunoda

Red Bull are not afraid of giving their youngsters a shot in a main seat and Yuki Tsunoda can put himself in the running if he gets the better of AlphaTauri team-mate Gasly in 2022.

Tsunoda finished 14th in the Drivers’ Championship during his debut season and finished the campaign with a storming run of consecutive Q3 appearances.

Earlier in the campaign F1 supremo Ross Brawn called the Japanese star “the best rookie for years”.

The 21-year-old

Christian Horner’s comments

Speaking in September, Christian Horner said: “For 2023, we have multiple options available to us, so when you’re in the situation that we are, that’s exactly what we want.

“We have this group of young talent coming through.

“We have Liam Lawson and Juri Vips in F2, we have got Dennis Hauger leading the way in F3 and an exciting young American, Jak Crawford.

“So there is strength and depth in the junior programme.”