Max Verstappen managed P5 in a tricky Las Vegas qualifying session, while his Red Bull teammate Sergio Perez struggled again, failing to make it past Q1 for the sixth time this season.
The gap between the teammates was massive – and it’s raising more questions about Perez’s future with the team.
“We had some problems here and there,” Red Bull advisor Helmut Marko explained after the session. The team’s modified rear wing cost them serious speed on the straights, with Verstappen losing about three-tenths of a second in Sector 3 alone.
But Verstappen, who’s cruising toward his fourth world title, still managed to outqualify his rival Lando Norris despite the car issues.
“In the end it went better than expected after Friday’s sessions,” Marko added.
The story was completely different for Perez, who’ll start from 16th place. While he was running a different setup from his teammate, Marko didn’t mince words about the performance.
“He was simply not fast enough,” Marko said bluntly.
The team might have helped Perez’s chances by using two sets of tires in Q1, but they thought one set would be enough. That gamble didn’t pay off.
With pressure mounting on Perez’s seat for 2025, Marko dropped a hint about the Mexican driver’s future.
“After Abu Dhabi we’ll go through all the possibilities and then make a decision,” he said. “I’m not saying there is a risk. I’m saying we will look at all possibilities.”
The timing is interesting – Abu Dhabi is next week’s season finale, suggesting Red Bull might make their 2025 driver decision sooner rather than later.
