Horner: We thought about Sainz for a long time

Dr Helmut Marko has denied reports that Sergio Perez has not actually signed a two-year contract to remain at Red Bull Racing next year.

Prior to the announcement, reports suggested that while the Mexican and his sponsors were demanding a two-year deal, Red Bull was only offering him a single-year contract for 2025 only.

Those rumours suggest Red Bull wants to leave its options open for 2026, amid uncertainty about Max Verstappen’s future and with Yuki Tsunoda impressing at the junior squad RB.

Another rumour is that Carlos Sainz is poised to sign a one-year Williams deal for 2025, leaving his own options open for a Red Bull switch for 2026.

"Carlos Sainz is a good driver and he’s available for next season, so we thought about that for a long time," team boss Christian Horner admitted to Viaplay.

"But we thought stability and continuity was the right choice," he added.

Japanese Tsunoda suggested in Montreal that Perez’s new deal includes certain performance clauses.

"Perez still has to perform in the next two years," he said. "Anything can happen in these kinds of circumstances."

When asked about Perez’s contract extension, Red Bull’s top F1 consultant Dr Helmut Marko said in Montreal: "Ultimately, Checo delivers.

"He has some ups and downs, but he is still a very fast driver."

As for the speculation that Perez’s contract is actually only for one year with a team-sided option for 2026, the 81-year-old answered: "There are always clauses in contracts, but in general it is really a two-year contract."