In the wake of his 2024 departure from Red Bull, fresh insights reveal that former driver, Sergio Perez, found his footing shaky within the team. Jimmy Morales, the head of Escuderia Telmex – the team that sponsors Perez – made these revelations, hinting at a cocktail of complex issues that led to the split between Perez and Red Bull post the 2024 season.
Perez’s journey in Formula 1 has been a rollercoaster, to say the least. From the brink of exit in 2020 after his maiden F1 victory at the 2020 Sakhir Grand Prix with Racing Point, to a career revival after being picked up by Red Bull in 2021, and finally to his exit after the 2024 season, his F1 career has seen it all.
However, his tenure with Red Bull ended on a low note, despite a promising start. Perez was in stellar form in 2024, bagging four podium finishes in the initial five races. But as the season progressed, his performance dipped dramatically, and he couldn’t manage a podium finish again. Liam Lawson was chosen to fill Perez’s shoes at Red Bull for the 2025 F1 season.
Morales, in a conversation on the Formula de 2 podcast, delved deeper into Perez’s Red Bull departure. He stated, “There are many interests at play. Whether it’s fair or not, the internal pressure and Red Bull’s advice. There are too many issues involved. Our driver didn’t feel comfortable anymore.”
This split occurred after the 2024 season had concluded, which, according to Morales, dashed Perez’s hopes of securing a drive elsewhere in F1 2025 as other teams had already finalized their rosters.
As the 2024 season unfolded, rumors about Perez’s shaky future with Red Bull were rife. There were speculations that Red Bull and Perez would part ways during the summer break. However, Perez stayed put for the remainder of the season.
Helmut Marko, Red Bull’s senior advisor and driver programme boss, had an interesting history with Perez, according to Morales. They had “strong clashes” during their Formula 3 days, with Marko doubting Perez’s potential. Morales recalls, “He said to me: ‘This driver is not going to make it’, and guess what? He even made it to the team that said he wasn’t going to make it. We gagged him like the big boys.”
Red Bull, post-Perez’s exit, has welcomed Lawson as Max Verstappen’s new team-mate. Lawson had previously only participated in 11 grands prix with Red Bull’s junior team VCARB. Additionally, Isack Hadjar, the runner-up in the 2024 championship, was promoted from Formula 2 to partner Yuki Tsunoda.