Red Bull chief Helmut Marko breaks silence on Sergio Perez’s ‘secret contract clause’

Sergio Perez can breathe easy knowing his Red Bull salary is safe Helmut Marko has shut down reports of a secret clause in Sergio Perez’s contract that would see the Mexican driver’s salary decrease, and claimed that Red Bull are content with his performances this season, despite the massive gulf in the points tally relative to his team-mate. Dutch news outlet De Telegraaf had previously reported that there was a clause included in Checo’s contract that would allow Red Bull to lower his salary if he fell 125 points behind Max Verstappen in the driver standings. Following Verstappen’s latest triumph over Perez at the Belgian Grand Prix, the two Red Bull drivers are now separated by exactly 125 points in the driver standings, and with the Dutch driver currently enjoying an eight-race winning streak, it is unlikely that the gap will be coming down when the summer break comes to an end in late August. Fortunately for Perez, there seems to be no need to fear. Speaking to F1-Insider about the rumours, Marko explained: ‘I don’t know where it comes from either. It is completely made up out of thin air. The contracts are precisely regulated. There will be no salary cuts.’ The Red Bull chief then went on to reiterate his satisfaction with the team’s driver line-up. “I can only say it again and again,’ Marko stated. ‘We are leading the drivers’ championship with both drivers and are clearly ahead in the team standings. “As for Perez, he was in a bit of a crisis but has turned the corner again in the last two races. Verstappen can’t be beaten at the moment. Neither by Perez nor by any other driver.” SUBSCRIBE Invalid email We use your sign-up to provide content in ways you’ve consented to and to improve our understanding of you. This may include adverts from us and 3rd parties based on our understanding. You can unsubscribe at any time. More info Helmut Marko remains content with Sergio Perez’s performances