Red Bull team principal Christian Horner has poured cold water on talk that Sergio Perez could be replaced in the team's 2024 driver line-up by Daniel Ricciardo.
With Perez struggling to hold onto second position in the drivers' standings – maintaining only a slim 32-point advantage over Mercedes' Lewis Hamilton – Ricciardo's F1 return with Red Bull's sister team AlphaTauri has sent rumours flying.
But any hope of the Australian partnering three-time world champion Max Verstappen next season has been all but dashed after Horner backed Perez to keep his seat.
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Speaking to Motorsport.com, Horner stated he did not doubt that Perez would not be with the team in 2024.
"I am absolutely confident and clear that Checo [Perez] will be our driver next year," he said following the running of the Brazilian Grand Prix.
"Now, if he was injured or something like that, there are circumstances beyond our control. But the clear plan and therefore the clear intention is that he will continue.
"We're planning to continue. We have announced the AlphaTauri drivers, we have our Red Bull Racing drivers. That is how we intend to go racing in 2024."
Speculation reached a fever pitch when Ricciardo out-qualified Perez at the Mexican Grand Prix in what was just his second race back after injuring his hand.
Ricciardo went on to finish a season-best seventh in the Grand Prix, falling agonisingly short of sixth, while Perez crashed out of his home race on the opening lap.
Perez is contracted to Red Bull through to the end of 2024 while Ricciardo is signed on for another season with AlphaTauri.
With AlphaTauri owned by Red Bull, the teams could opt to switch the pair, although it would seem more likely that Perez be axed entirely with reserve driver Liam Lawson prepared to step in.
This could then see Ricciardo land the Red Bull drive and Lawson graduate to the then-vacant AlphaTauri seat.
Despite the paddock rumour mill functioning in overdrive for much of this season, Horner said all the theorizing had not impacted the champion team.
"It hasn't because it's only noise on the outside. On the inside everything is always clear," he said.
However, he acknowledged that it would be difficult for Perez to drown everything out considering his drop in form.
"I'm sure it does [affect him] but I think what we've seen with him, and one of his strengths is, he has a very thick skin," Horner said.
"Many times he's picked himself up, brushed himself and got back up again. So hopefully he's doing the same now."
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