Sergio Perez is out at Red Bull Racing after a catastrophic 2024 season that saw the team lose the Constructors’ Championship. While the announcement ends months of speculation, it leaves more questions than answers about Red Bull’s decision-making and Perez’s future.
A Legacy Tarnished by Decline
When Sergio Perez joined Red Bull in 2021, he was hailed as the perfect wingman for Max Verstappen—a consistent performer who could hold his own while allowing Verstappen to shine. For a while, it worked. Perez delivered critical performances, including his heroic defense against Lewis Hamilton in the controversial 2021 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, which played a pivotal role in Verstappen’s maiden title victory.
But by 2024, the Mexican driver’s decline became impossible to ignore. With just 152 points to Verstappen’s 437, Perez was no longer contributing enough to justify his seat. His performances in the latter half of the season were especially dismal, leaving Red Bull vulnerable to rivals McLaren and Ferrari, both of whom ultimately outperformed the Milton Keynes-based outfit.
For Perez, the downfall has been steep. A driver once celebrated for his resilience and racecraft now leaves Formula 1 with a reputation overshadowed by failure at the top level.
Red Bull’s Misstep: A Late, Costly Decision
Red Bull’s decision to part ways with Perez, while necessary, raises serious questions about the timing. Why extend his contract through 2026 midway through a season when his struggles were already evident? Critics, including former McLaren chief mechanic Marc Priestley, have slammed the move:
“Perez’s decline was obvious, yet Red Bull doubled down with a baffling contract extension. They should’ve addressed this sooner.”
By waiting until the grid was already full for 2025, Red Bull effectively ended Perez’s chances of finding a new team. In doing so, they not only jeopardized Perez’s career but also risked their own reputation for driver management. A quicker decision might have allowed Perez to return to the midfield teams where he has historically excelled.
Perez’s Downfall: His Fault or Red Bull’s?
It’s easy to blame Perez for his poor results, but Red Bull isn’t without fault. Perez was never designed to be the kind of dominant number two driver the team needed as Verstappen’s supremacy grew. Instead, he was a stop-gap—a driver who could stabilize the team after a turbulent period with Pierre Gasly and Alex Albon.
Yet Red Bull’s complacency in addressing its second-driver dilemma allowed the situation to spiral. Former driver Johnny Herbert questioned Red Bull’s reliance on a driver clearly struggling with the team’s hyper-focused development around Verstappen:
“Perez was a short-term solution that became a long-term problem. Red Bull should’ve realized that sooner.”
A Replacement in Lawson: The Right Call?
While Red Bull hasn’t officially named Perez’s replacement, it’s widely believed to be Liam Lawson. The young driver showed flashes of potential during his substitute appearances, but critics argue he hasn’t yet displayed the star power needed to thrive alongside Verstappen.
Priestley is skeptical:
“Lawson hasn’t shown he can be the next Verstappen or Vettel. Red Bull is gambling again, and history shows it rarely works out.”
Meanwhile, Yuki Tsunoda, another contender for the seat, has been overlooked despite his steady improvement at AlphaTauri. This has fueled backlash from fans, who feel Tsunoda deserved a chance at the big leagues.
A Crumbling Driver Strategy
Perez’s exit underscores a larger issue at Red Bull: its inability to establish a cohesive long-term driver strategy. The team’s reliance on a single dominant star—first Sebastian Vettel, now Verstappen—has left it vulnerable when that star’s teammate falters.
Since Daniel Ricciardo departed at the end of 2018, Red Bull’s second seat has been a revolving door of underperforming drivers. The team’s highly-regarded junior program, once a pipeline for stars, has yet to produce a driver capable of matching Verstappen’s brilliance.
Red Bull’s continued mishandling of its driver lineup is a dangerous game. With Verstappen reportedly considering an exit after 2026, the team risks losing its linchpin without a solid backup plan in place.
The Verdict
Sergio Perez’s exit from Red Bull was inevitable, but it’s hard to ignore the mismanagement that brought both parties to this point. Red Bull’s failure to act sooner has cost them on and off the track. And while Perez bears responsibility for his lackluster performances, the team’s inability to resolve its second-driver dilemma has only exacerbated the issue.
With Liam Lawson likely stepping into the role, Red Bull faces a new gamble. Whether this one pays off—or turns into yet another chapter of the team’s driver drama—remains to be seen.