Jakarta – Sergio Perez’s time with Red Bull Racing has come to an end. Both parties agreed to terminate the collaboration towards the end of the year.
The 34-year-old driver parted ways after representing the Austrian-flagged team since 2021. In 90 races, he achieved five victories, all on street circuits. In addition, he also achieved 29 podiums and three poles.
“I am very grateful for the four years with Red Bull Racing and for the opportunity to race with an amazing team.” Driving for Red Bull has been an unforgettable experience, and I will always cherish the successes we achieved together,” Perez said in his statement, quoted by The Athletic.
Perez’s best achievements were being the runner-up in 2022 and 2023, behind his teammate Max Verstappen who became the champion. His role was also considered vital in helping Verstappen secure his first championship title in 2021.
However, his performance plummeted in the 2024 season. The condition of the Red Bull car this season, which is no longer as dominant as two years ago, also did not help the performance of the Mexican driver much.
He initially performed well in the first six races, achieving four podiums, but then he had a lackluster performance in the next 18 series. His best achievement since the seventh series was finishing sixth in the Dutch GP. He even failed to finish five times.
Perez’s inconsistent performance compared to Verstappen caused Red Bull to fail to defend the constructors’ title, which fell into the hands of McLaren. They even finished below Ferrari.
Perez was actually given a contract extension until 2026 last June to reduce the pressure on him, but it still didn’t yield results. The path of parting ways was ultimately taken.
Red Bull has not yet announced who will replace Perez. However, strong rumors suggest that his position will be filled by Liam Lawson, who made his debut this season as a jet driver, replacing Daniel Ricciardo in Red Bull’s sister team, Racing Bulls.
Perez Officially Leaves Red Bull
