Sergio “Checo” Perez’s Red Bull career ended in disaster, and according to Juan Pablo Montoya, there was one defining moment that sealed his fate.
While Max Verstappen racked up nine wins in 2024, Perez struggled to keep up, managing only a handful of podiums and suffering a series of costly mistakes. However, Montoya believes the final straw came in Baku, where a late-race crash with Carlos Sainz erased a potentially crucial podium finish.
“If you look at what happened to Checo, if he had ended on the podium in Baku, suddenly the story would have changed,” Montoya explained.
“But he didn’t. It was a crash with Carlos Sainz at the end, and all the time that Checo took [catching the race leaders] disappeared. It was like everything disappeared.”
Instead of a redemptive moment, Baku became the defining failure of Perez’s season, reinforcing Red Bull’s doubts about his ability to remain competitive alongside Verstappen.
Perez’s Red Bull Exit: Was It Really His Choice?
While Perez’s departure from Red Bull was framed as a mutual decision, Montoya suggests that the situation behind the scenes was anything but friendly.
“What I heard from gossip is that [his exit] was not so friendly,” Montoya revealed.
It’s widely speculated that Red Bull was already planning to move on from Perez for 2025, meaning the Mexican driver likely accepted a high buyout figure rather than risk being pushed out completely.
“I imagine that the number had to be very high to convince him.”
With Red Bull’s patience running out, and Perez failing to consistently deliver top-three finishes, the writing was already on the wall.
What’s Next for Checo? Could General Motors Offer Him an F1 Lifeline?
With his Red Bull chapter officially over, Perez’s future remains uncertain. While there have been rumors of a potential 2026 return with General Motors, it’s unclear whether the 34-year-old would even want to stay in F1.
Given his strong financial backing, Perez has the luxury to explore other motorsport categories if an F1 seat doesn’t materialize.
Could we see Checo make a move to endurance racing, IndyCar, or even a high-profile GT series? One thing is clear—his time at Red Bull is over, but his racing career may not be.
Final Thought: Did Red Bull Make the Right Call?
Perez’s late-career struggles contrast sharply with the version of Checo who helped Red Bull win its first Constructors’ Championship since 2013. But in modern F1, there is no room for sentiment—and Red Bull wasn’t willing to keep a driver who couldn’t consistently challenge at the front.
Could Perez have saved his Red Bull career with one clean race in Baku? Montoya believes so.
Now, all eyes are on Checo’s next move—will he fight to stay in F1, or is this the end of the road?
