‘Red Bull should stick with Perez’

LONDON: Sergio Perez remains Red Bull's best option as team mate for triple world champion Max Verstappen next season, according to the Mexican's former boss Otmar Szafnauer.

Perez's contract with Formula One's dominant champions runs out at the end of the season and the 34-year-old faces an uncertain future. Former Force India, Aston Martin and Alpine principal Szafnauer told reporters 'Checo' would be his choice and he had said as much at a recent F1 event in Abu Dhabi.

"I said 'knowing Checo as well as I do, I would replace Checo with Checo'. If I were (team boss) Christian (Horner), I would still keep him there for next year," he said. "He's had some lows. This year, from what I can see, apart from a couple of races where I think he should have finished a bit higher, he's doing it." Perez is second in the standings after five races, with three seconds and a third and this weekend returns to Miami.