Sergio Perez replacement update as Red Bull plans come to light – round-up

Thursday’s F1 news roundup from the Belgian Grand Prix paddock leads on crucial information on Red Bull’s plans to replace Sergio Perez, with two names in the frame and a potential contract buyout mooted.

It’s a must-read…

No clear favourite in race to replace Sergio Perez

PlanetF1.com understands that there is no clear favourite between Daniel Ricciardo and Liam Lawson in the race to replace Sergio Perez at Red Bull for the second half of the F1 2024 season.

Perez is increasingly likely to be dropped after this weekend’s Belgian Grand Prix, with his contract containing a clause allowing Red Bull to drop him if he is more than 100 points behind Verstappen at the time of the summer break. The gap currently stands at 141.

VCARB driver Ricciardo and Red Bull reserve Lawson have both been linked with becoming Verstappen’s team-mate for the rest of F1 2024 and PlanetF1.com understands both remain in contention.

Read more: Significant Sergio Perez development emerges with two drivers in Red Bull contention

Bruno Famin to leave Alpine with new team principal lined up

Bruno Famin is to leave his role as Alpine team principal with Oliver Oakes, the boss of F2 team Hitech, expected to be appointed as his replacement.

Alpine have endured a woeful F1 2024 season and currently sit eighth in the Constructors’ standings having scored just eight points across the first 13 races.

Almost 12 months to the day since Otmar Szafnauer was publicly dismissed at Spa, sources have indicated to PlanetF1.com that Famin is set to move to a different role within the Renault organisation.

Read more: Alpine set for another new team boss with Bruno Famin departure imminent

Lewis Hamilton in ‘act like a World Champion’ reminder to Max Verstappen

Lewis Hamilton has reminded Max Verstappen to “act like a World Champion” after the Red Bull driver fumed throughout last weekend’s Hungarian Grand Prix.

Verstappen was heard criticising both his Red Bull RB20 and the team’s strategy over team radio during the race, colliding with Hamilton in the closing laps before having some choice words for his critics.

Hamilton, the most decorated driver in the sport’s history, has spoken of the importance of drivers behaving correctly.

And what does acting like a World Champion entail, Lewis? “Not like it was last weekend,” he remarked.

Read more: ‘Act like a World Champion’ – Lewis Hamilton aims dig at Max Verstappen after Hungary clash

Logan Sargeant hits back at Marcus Ericsson over Williams rumour

Logan Sargeant has rubbished Marcus Ericsson’s claim that he and Williams team boss James Vowles barely greet each other anymore, saying that’s simply “not true.”

Former Sauber driver and current IndyCar star Ericsson had suggested that Sargeant and Vowles are barely on speaking terms, with the American driver not “having fun in that team.”

Asked directly about Ericsson’s remarks by PlanetF1.com at Spa, Sargeant said: “Marcus Ericsson has a reputation of talking about other people without ever having been in a conversation with me in his life.”

Read more: Marcus Ericsson under fire for spreading ‘completely untrue’ Williams rumour

Ralf Schumacher claims Audi F1 project was ‘on brink of collapse’

Zhou Guanyu was retained by Sauber for the F1 2024 season after a “small miscalculation” left Audi’s F1 2026 entry “on the brink of collapse.”

That is the astonishing claim of former F1 driver Ralf Schumacher, who says the team “had to be refinanced” to help plug a hole of €1billion.

Audi announced a management restructure earlier this week, with Mattia Binotto replacing Andreas Seidl and assuming the joint role of chief operating and technical officer.

Schumacher has claimed the existing Sauber team’s problems ran far deeper than that.

Read more: F1 team ‘on brink of collapse’ forced to keep driver after ‘miscalculation’ – report