Helmut Marko called out Sergio Pérez after a disappointing race at the Las Vegas Grand Prix, explaining that the Mexican’s struggles cost Red Bull employees their bonuses for the 2024 season.

Red BullEmployee bonuses are linked to the constructors’ championship rather than the drivers’ championship. Max VerstappenLas Vegas’ elation after clinching their fourth straight title will bring immense pride to the team, but won’t help them financially.

Although Verstappen concluded the fight for the drivers’ title with two rounds remaining, Red Bull heads to Qatar third in the Manufacturers’ Championship, 30 points behind Ferrari and 54 behind the leaders McLaren.

This fight largely depends on Perez’s fitness. After a miserable race in Las Vegas that saw him take the checkered flag in 10th position, the 34-year-old now has just one top-five finish in his last 17 races. The other seven drivers from the top four teams have taken at least two wins this season, while he only has four podiums to show for his efforts.

Talk to DAZN After Verstappen clinched his title at Sin City, Marko said: “We have to have two drivers who finish in the points. Max is more than 200 points ahead of Sergio

“For now, the main thing was to win the championship for Max but for our employees it is a disappointment because they will not receive their bonuses, because they depend on our position in the Manufacturers’ Championship.

Perez’s struggles mean that heading into the final two races in Qatar and Abu Dhabi, he will need to produce two strong performances to justify Red Bull retaining his services for the 2025 campaign.

The Milton Keynes-based side certainly have a host of alternatives waiting should they decide to opt out of Perez’s contract. Liam Lawson, Yuki Tsunoda and Franco Colapinto have all been touted as potential replacements for the six-time Grand Prix winner.

Unlike some of his bosses, Perez is not giving up on regaining control of the constructors’ championship. After the checkered flag, he said: “It is not mathematically lost, we will continue to attack. I really hope that in Qatar we can change things and be much more competitive.

“I think we really need to address the issues we had this year. I think the team knows exactly where we are, and Red Bull is the better team and I think we can have a much better car for next year.