F1 INSIDER

01 NEW PÉREZ CONTRACT LIGHTS UP DRIVER MARKET

02 IF THE CAP FITS…

03 24-RACE CALENDAR TAKES SHAPE

01 LAST FEW SEATS OPEN FOR 2023 AS PÉREZ INKS RED BULL DEAL

Sergio Pérez’s contract extension with Red Bull, agreed beforehand but announced in the wake of his Monaco GP victory, came as little surprise – but there still may be plenty of changes to other teams’ line-ups for 2023.

The Mexican’s new two-year deal inevitably raises the question of Pierre Gasly’s future. After returning to Toro Rosso (subsequently renamed AlphaTauri) mid-season in 2019, Gasly took an opportune but well-deserved win at Monza and has made two further podium appearances. With these and other doughty performances Gasly has provided ample reasons for speculation about a possible Red Bull comeback – but it is now evident that will not happen, either in the short term or the distant future.

Pérez fully meets the needs of the team. He is much closer to Max Verstappen this season compared with the previous year, which at the same time hasn’t affected his willingness to follow team orders. For Red Bull to make the decision to extend Pérez’s contract this early was not