Marko slams Perez pay-cut rumours

Dr Helmut Marko has rubbished wild reports from De Telegraaf that Sergio Perez is facing a pay-cut for 2024.

With Daniel Ricciardo and Yuki Tsunoda waiting in the wings, it is rumoured that Perez’s big points gap to Max Verstappen may trigger a clause that sees the Mexican make much less money next season.

"I don’t know where that’s coming from," Red Bull’s Marko told Sport1. "It’s completely out of thin air.

"The contracts are strictly regulated. There will be no pay cuts," the 80-year-old Austrian added.

But even if pay-cut clauses did exist, Marko says he’s happy with Perez’s recent recovery after a slump.

"Perez was in a bit of a crisis, but he got the curve back in the last two races," he said. "Verstappen is just unbeatable at the moment.

"Perez can’t do it but neither can any other driver. We have no reason to think about measures that affect Perez."