Sergio Perez leaving Red Bull seat for 2025 Formula 1 season as Mexican driver exits team

Sergio Perez will no longer compete for Red Bull as the two sides have decided to go their separate ways.

There hasn’t been any official word on a replacement for the Mexican driver alongside world champion Max Verstappen for the 2025 season. However, Sky Sports has reported for some time that Liam Lawson is set to take the spot, moving up from the junior team RB.

In a special chat with Sky Sports News about Perez's exit, Red Bull team principal Christian Horner mentioned that a choice had not yet been made between Lawson and Yuki Tsunoda regarding who would take over for the Mexican driver.

"In the end, it will come down to a decision between Yuki and Liam," Horner stated.

Red Bull stated that they will reveal Verstappen's new teammate in the near future.

Perez became part of Red Bull in 2021, where he achieved five out of his six career wins. However, he faced a very challenging 2024 season.

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Even though he received a two-year contract extension in June following a strong beginning to the season, his last appearance on the podium was at the Chinese Grand Prix in April, during a year when Verstappen claimed his fourth straight world championship.

Perez ended the season with only nine points during the last eight Grand Prix weekends, a performance that played a significant role in Red Bull not being able to defend their Constructors' Championship title, ultimately placing third behind McLaren and Ferrari.

For several months, it had become more apparent that a driver would be leaving the team at the end of the year. As a result, he will miss the F1 grid for the first time since he started in 2011, as all the available spots outside of Red Bull are now filled.

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Perez Discusses Exit As Horner Offers Tribute

In a statement made on Wednesday regarding his exit, Perez expressed: "I feel deeply thankful for the last four years spent with Oracle Red Bull Racing and for the chance to compete alongside such a remarkable team."

Racing for Red Bull has been an amazing journey that I will always look back on fondly. We've set numerous records and accomplished extraordinary things together, and I've had the honor of connecting with so many amazing individuals throughout this experience.

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I want to extend my heartfelt gratitude to everyone on the team—from management and engineers to mechanics, catering, hospitality, kitchen staff, and marketing and communications. A special mention to everyone at Milton Keynes as well. I wish you all the very best for what lies ahead.

"It's been a privilege to compete alongside Max as my teammate all these years and to celebrate our achievements together. I want to express my heartfelt gratitude to fans everywhere, particularly the supporters from Mexico, for your constant encouragement. We’ll see each other again soon. And always keep in mind… Never give up."

The 2024 document that led to Perez's downfall

Ranked eighth in the Drivers' Championship, they are 71 points behind seventh-place driver Lewis Hamilton and 285 points behind their Red Bull teammate and reigning champion, Max Verstappen.

The team made the smallest percentage contribution to the overall points among the top four teams, accounting for just 26 percent.

Nine points in the last eight Grand Prix events (Verstappen – 134) and a total of 49 points over the last 18 weekends (Verstappen – 301)

No top-three finishes in the last 19 Grand Prix races.

This season, there have been six exits in the first quarter and three in the second quarter for those qualifying.

Outperformed Verstappen only once in the past 41 tries.

As everyone anticipated that the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix earlier this month would mark the end of Perez's time with the team after four seasons, Red Bull's management met with the 34-year-old last week to discuss his future and reach a decision on the next steps.

In an interview with Sky Sports News, Red Bull team principal Horner mentioned, "He's been an incredible asset to our team. This year has been challenging for him, but he's a wonderful individual and has been instrumental in our success in the 2021 Drivers' Championship as well as the Constructors' titles in 2022 and 2023."

Last year, he finished as the runner-up in the Drivers' Championship and has secured victory in five Grand Prix races driving our vehicles.

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After the season ended, he took some time to think things over, and we had a conversation about his future plans last week. He has decided to step away from Formula 1 for a while and take a break.

"We're definitely going to miss him on the team, but we understand that it's important for him to prioritize time with his young family and pursue his future ambitions."

Perez bounced back from a prolonged decline in performance, especially in qualifying, around the middle of 2023. He kicked off this year with four podium finishes in the first five races. However, his speed started to decline once more during a time when Red Bull's competitors began to close the gap, leading to a drop in his performance from which he couldn’t fully recover.

When asked about the issues faced by the seasoned driver, Horner explained, "It's a bit unclear for him. The car's performance range got narrower, and he had a tougher time handling that compared to Max."

"Clearly, there was a huge gap in the points between the two drivers. This weighed heavily on him, adding even more pressure."

"The more effort he puts in, the less progress he seems to make. It turned into a bit of a negative cycle for him. He showed glimpses of his past performance in Azerbaijan, but sadly, it didn't lead to any points. This season has been incredibly frustrating for him, and naturally, it's had a significant impact on our standing in the Constructors' Championship."

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"Choosing Between Yuki And Liam"

Horner mentioned that either Lawson or Tsunoda, both drivers for Red Bull's sister team RB, will likely be promoted to the main team for the 2025 season. According to Sky Sports, it seems that the 22-year-old driver from New Zealand is the favorite for the position.

"We possess all the necessary details," Horner stated regarding the decision.

Ultimately, the decision will come down to either Yuki or Liam. Both candidates possess impressive qualifications.

Recently, we had the opportunity to evaluate Yuki during a tire test in Abu Dhabi, giving him a chance to collaborate with the engineering team. Liam has also participated in numerous behind-the-scenes tests with us this year, and he has performed admirably in the six or seven races he's driven.

"We have gathered all the necessary information. We're currently reviewing it and discussing it with the engineering team. We'll reach a decision in the next few days."

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Horner remarked, "Our top priority for next year, which is expected to be one of the most competitive seasons in F1 for a long time, is to ensure that both of our drivers are performing at a similar level. We're going to face a Hamilton-Leclerc pairing over at Ferrari next season."

"We've witnessed the performance of Norris and Piastri at McLaren, demonstrating their potential. Additionally, George Russell will be teaming up with another newcomer, Antonelli, at Mercedes. Next year is shaping up to be highly competitive, so we'll need to consider our options carefully. The key question is: what is the strongest driver pairing we can assemble at Red Bull Racing?"

If Lawson gets promoted to the main Red Bull team as anticipated, then 20-year-old Isack Hadjar, a Red Bull junior who took second place in this year's F2 championship, is likely to team up with Tsunoda at RB.

"Perez's Time At Red Bull: A Struggling Saga"

For a driver who has spent the majority of his 14-year career known as one of the most dependable points earners on the circuit, Perez's difficulties in maintaining consistent performance over the past two seasons in one of the quickest cars has been confusing and, for both him and his team, quite frustrating.

Perez became a member of the Red Bull team for the 2021 season when they decided to break their long-standing rule of only hiring drivers from their own development program. This change came after two years in which the team found it challenging to find suitable replacements for Daniel Ricciardo. Both Pierre Gasly and Alex Albon had difficulty keeping up with the consistently improving performance of Max Verstappen.

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Choosing to prioritize experience proved to be a wise move during the inaugural season, as Perez clinched victory in Azerbaijan after Verstappen had to retire due to a tire issue. He consistently achieved top-six finishes throughout the season. However, perhaps his most significant role came at the end of the season in Abu Dhabi, where he strategically slowed down leader Lewis Hamilton. This action played a crucial part in setting up Verstappen to secure his first championship title right on the final lap.

Perez's hold-up of Hamilton earlier in the race led the team to affectionately dub the Mexican the 'Minister of Defence.'

Red Bull quickly adapted to the new rules that came into effect at the beginning of 2022, and Verstappen began to take control of the season. Meanwhile, Perez achieved victory in two races, showcasing his skill on the challenging circuits of Monaco and Singapore. However, he ultimately fell short in the battle for second place in the Drivers' Championship, finishing behind Ferrari's Charles Leclerc.

The beginning of 2023 was excellent for him, as he notched up two victories alongside Verstappen. However, his performance began to decline sharply, especially during qualifying, even though his teammate was clearly excelling throughout the season.

A rough stretch of performances sparked increasing talk about the possibility of him being replaced for 2024. However, a strong finish to the season allowed Perez to clinch second place in the championship, trailing behind the dominant Verstappen.

At the beginning of 2024, Perez appeared to be on a winning streak, achieving four podium finishes in the first five races. However, this positive change was short-lived, even after he unexpectedly received a contract extension through 2026. The rest of the 24-race season went poorly for him, and his struggles were made worse by Red Bull's decline in performance, as they were no longer the fastest team on the grid.

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After opting not to alter their roster during the mid-season break in August, Red Bull leaders were optimistic that Perez would improve his performance. However, aside from his strong showing at the Azerbaijan GP in September, where he competed for the lead until crashing into Carlos Sainz on the final lap, he has continued to disappoint. His ongoing difficulties in securing points have led to discussions about a potential exit with top management last week.

Last month, Perez referred to his 2024 season as "awful."

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