After coming to a termination agreement with Red Bull, Sergio Perez will depart the company two years ahead of his contract expiration. The termination came following a poor season where he did not win a race and only placed fourth four times, with teammate Max Verstappen taking home his fourth world championship.
“I’m incredibly grateful for the past four years with Red Bull Racing and for the opportunity to race with such an amazing team,” stated Perez, who has effectively been fired.
I will always treasure the accomplishments we made together, and driving for Red Bull has been an incredible experience.” Liam Lawson, a 22-year-old New Zealander, is anticipated to replace Perez, 34, in a promotion from the sibling Racing Bulls squad.
Before the season-ending Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, Lawson, who participated in six races at the end of 2024 and five in 2023, reportedly received word that he would be promoted.
PEREZ SHARES HIS VIEWS
Perez voiced his worries in Abu Dhabi about Verstappen being paired with an inexperienced driver. “Being team-mates with Max at Red Bull as a young driver, I wouldn’t like to be in those shoes, if I’m honest,” Perez stated.
The degree of difficulty in this position cannot be understated. Red Bull had already made the decision to fire Perez, but he was hesitant to go, so his management negotiated the greatest possible compensation package before agreeing.
The dismissal of Perez by Red Bull calls into doubt the judgement of Christian Horner, the team’s principal, who decided in May to sign him through the end of 2026.
Horner stated that the move was made to give Perez time to regain his confidence at the beginning of a downturn in his form, which was reminiscent of a similar decline in 2023.
HIS RECENT PERFORMANCE
Perez’s performances, however, remained unchanged. His best result was sixth place in the Netherlands after he finished fourth in the next race in Miami and took his final podium in the fifth race of the season in China.
Perez won five races for Red Bull, including one in 2021 and two in 2022 and 2023. However, he only managed to cut the gap over Verstappen in the first four races of 2023. But in 2021, he helped Verstappen win his first world championship.
Verstappen closed the gap on the seven-time champion in the middle of the race thanks to his aggressive defence against Hamilton in the season finale in Abu Dhabi.
If Perez hadn’t delayed him for so long, Hamilton probably would have had enough space to pit for new tires during the crucial late safety-car period and still hold the lead in the race. He was therefore at risk from Verstappen, who did pause for new rubber.
After breaking the safety car period rules again, race director Michael Masi began the race for a final lap. Verstappen, with new tires, managed to pass Hamilton and win the title instead of the Mercedes driver.
