F1 Rumor: For Red Bull, Perez vs Colapinto is a $50M Conundrum (Update)

Ferrari boss Fred Vasseur thinks that Formula 1’s aerodynamic testing restrictions could be a “game changer” next year if teams deliberately write off the season to gain an advantage for 2026. We talked about this below, and why Red Bull might hold on to Sergio Perez until July 1st 2025.

–by Mark Cipolloni–

“But the game changer could be ’26 because you could have some teams that are perhaps not fighting for the championship next year that decide: ‘Okay, for ’25 we don’t care if we are Place X [in the constructors’] and we don’t care if we are X plus two or X minus two. We will just go full on the ’26 project,” Vasseur told Autosport.

“If you are fighting for something, you will have the temptation to do more for ’25 plus, [and] on the top [of that], the other teams already have more because they are place X compared to P1 in the table. So the Place X will be fully focused on ’26 but the P1 will be split [across the two seasons].”

If Oracle Red Bull Racing decides to axe Mexican Sergio Perez and sign Argentinean Franco Colapinto for 2025 instead, it will cost them a rumored $50 million.

–by Mark Cipolloni–

If rumors are to be believed, Sergio Perez brings as much as $30 million to the Red Bull F1 team in the way of sponsorship.

If they axe Perez, it would be safe to say the sponsorship will be lost.

Red Bull are reportedly prepared to make a huge offer to sign rookie sensation Franco Colapinto.

According to Sky Italia and other rumors, the Milton Keynes-based outfit have made an offer to sign Colapinto – the young Argentine who has greatly impressed since coming in for Logan Sargeant ahead of the Italian Grand Prix.

Now, those rumors have been added to by Dutch broadcaster Jack Plooij. Speaking on Ziggo Sport’s Race Cafe program, Plooij revealed that Red Bull were ready to pay mega money to get their man, with Helmut Marko apparently growing tired of the Perez saga.

“I’m going to tell you that Williams’ coffers are going to be filled up considerably soon,” Plooij said.

“Helmut Marko is going to throw money in there, Colapinto. I heard that last night Marko was completely fed up,” the Dutchman added regarding the Perez situation.

Plooij continued: “He has an appointment this morning and he told Vowles: ‘I’ll throw twenty million dollars in, I want him now. Done.’ A buyout.”

The offer, according to Plooij, is not being made for Colapinto to go and drive at VCARB, either, with the 63-year-old concluding: “I understand that he is just going to throw him in at the deep end, he will simply sit next to Max.”

If the above numbers are accurate, it will cost Red Bull $50 million ($30M + $20M) to have Colapinto drive alongside Max Verstappen in 2025.

The risk of taking Colapinto

A Benefit to keeping Perez – at least through midseason of 2025.

It is clear that the Red Bull team is purposely losing the 2024 Constructor’s Championship and will not lose money thanks to the sponsorship money that Perez brings in.

Last year, Red Bull received $140 million for winning the Constructor’s title.  3rd place, Ferrari received $122 million – a difference of $18 million. If Perez is bringing in $30 million, that more than covers the $18 million loss in prize money.

Why would they do that, you ask?

Because it also means that Red Bull will get more wind tunnel and CFD testing next year – as a result of dropping down the order, and because development of the difficult 2026 cars will begin next year, the more hours the team has for development throughout 2025, the better – hence why I said keep Perez through mid-season of 2025.

By doing this, Red Bull would stay down the Constructor’s Championship order since he is so slow, and would then get more development hours for all of 2025 (Note: Development hours are readjusted at the mid-point and the end of each season)

Coming out of the box with a fast 2026 car is critical.

One of the reasons why McLaren is doing so well this year, and has brought upgrade after upgrade, is because they finished 4th in 2023 and have far more hours for development than Red Bull.