Sergio Pérez et Red Bull, c’est fini!

This is the end of the suspense, Red Bull has decided. Ten days after the end of the 2024 season which crowned Max Verstappen but which saw the Milton Keynes team lose its constructors’ title to McLaren, its managers felt that the time had come to part ways with Sergio Pérez. The Mexican driver’s future appeared more and more on hold in recent weeks, in light of insufficient results on the track.

From Monday December 9, the day after the last Grand Prix of the season in Abu Dhabi, Red Bull leaders met to define their strategy regarding their drivers for the 2025 season. And the main point of discussion obviously revolved around Sergio Perez. The latter had extended his contract last June, which theoretically ensured that he would still be there next year as well as in 2026. This premature extension ultimately did not hold.

Recruited at the dawn of the 2021 season by a team which wanted a second solid driver with the aim of playing for the two titles, Sergio Pérez will have spent four seasons alongside Max Verstappen. First by fully playing his role since he was a model teammate to serve the interests of the Dutchman during his first campaign. Then by contributing effectively to winning the manufacturers’ title in 2022.

Winner five times in the colors of Red Bull, three times in pole position and on the podium 29 times, he however saw his level of performance decline for the first time during 2023, already raising questions at the time. After having started the 2024 season rather well, completing three doubles led by Max Verstappen, he gradually sank into a crisis of results which saw him absent from the podium after the Chinese Grand Prix, without ever again go back up there.

All the statistics went into the red for the 34-year-old driver, who went out several times in Q1 in qualifying, while his garage neighbor managed to win a fourth title despite the obvious difficulties posed by the RB20. History will remember that of the eight drivers of the four top teams, Sergio Pérez is the only one not to have won a single Grand Prix in 2024. Or even that such a gap in championship classification had never been observed between the champion and his teammate (8th) since 1994.

The adventure therefore ends at the end of this very bad year for Sergio Pérez, now deprived of the wheel after 14 seasons contested in Formula 1 since 2011, successively with Sauber, McLaren, Force India/Racing Point and Red Bull. Negotiations between the two parties led to the premature end of the contract between them.

“I am incredibly grateful for the four years I spent with Red Bull Racing and for the opportunity I had to race with such an extraordinary team”reacted Sergio Pérez. “Driving for Red Bull has been an unforgettable experience, and I will always cherish the successes we have had together. We have broken records, achieved major milestones, and I have had the privilege of meeting many incredible people.”

“A big thank you to all members of the team, whether managers, engineers, mechanics, catering, hospitality, marketing and communications, as well as to all those who work in Milton Keynes I wish you the best for the future.”

“It was also an honor to race alongside Max as a teammate for all these years and share our successes. I especially thank the fans around the world, and especially the Mexican public, for their unwavering support. We will see each other again soon. And remember… You should never give up.”

“I would like to thank Checo for everything he has done for Red Bull Racing over the last four seasons”added Christian Horner, director of the Austrian structure. “From the moment he arrived in 2021, he proved himself to be an extraordinary member of the team, helping us win two constructors’ titles and achieve our first drivers’ championship double. His five victories, all on street circuits, have was also a spectacular sign of his determination to always push the limits Even if Checo will no longer race for the team next season, he will remain an extremely popular member and a valuable part of our history.

On the other hand, its exclusion does not, at this stage, resolve the equation in its entirety. Red Bull has still not announced the identity of who will become Max Verstappen’s teammate next year. For several days, Liam Lawson has been the favorite, a step ahead of Yuki Tsunoda, for whom Honda’s support has been much highlighted recently.

For now, the 2025 grid thus displays two free seats: one at Red Bull Racing, the other at Racing Bulls, where Isack Hadjar’s chances are mechanically skyrocketing.