Red Bull chooses Perez instead of Sainz for Formula One contract in 2025.

The Red Bull has decided to keep Sergio Perez as Max Verstappen’s teammate for the 2025 season. This announcement comes after months of speculation about Perez’s future with the team. The possibility of Lewis Hamilton joining Ferrari led Carlos Sainz to become available for next year, and his strong performance in the 2024 season, including a victory at the Australian Grand Prix, made Red Bull consider looking outside their current lineup of drivers for a partner for Verstappen. However, with Daniel Ricciardo not meeting expectations at Red Bull’s sister team and Yuki Tsunoda not being considered, Sainz became the main threat to Perez’s position. Despite a drop in performance, including a challenging weekend in Monaco, Red Bull decided to renew with Perez. The team officially confirmed that Perez will continue with them, although the way the announcement was made suggests that Red Bull is keeping their options open for 2026, when new regulations for cars and engines will be in place. Perez has been with the team since 2021 and has played a crucial role in Verstappen’s success, contributing to three consecutive driver titles and two constructor championship wins. As for Sainz, his options for 2025 seem to be limited to two less competitive teams, as Red Bull chose Perez and Mercedes is set on promoting Kimi Antonelli. Sauber and Williams are the possible destinations for Sainz, with a return to Enstone with Alpine being unlikely.