Sergio Perez’s primary sponsor Telmex has posted an apparent farewell message to Red Bull ahead of a decision on the Mexican driver’s F1 future.

PlanetF1.com revealed earlier this month that Perez is highly likely to be dropped by Red Bull following a disastrous season, with Racing Bulls star Liam Lawson set to be promoted as Max Verstappen’s new team-mate for the F1 2025 campaign.

Sergio Perez sponsor expected to cut ties with Red Bull

Additional reporting by Thomas Maher

A final decision on Red Bull’s driver plans for next year is expected to be communicated this week.

Despite signing a new two-year contract as recently as June, Perez has seen his seat at Red Bull come under serious threat after a disastrous season.

The Mexican driver ultimately finished seven spots and a massive 285 points behind team-mate Verstappen in the World Championship standings, having failed to register a podium finish since the fifth race of the season in China back in April.

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Perez insisted ahead of the season-ending Abu Dhabi Grand Prix that he had no intention of walking away from Red Bull, claiming that he had every intention of seeing out his new deal, which is due to expire at the end of the F1 2026 campaign.

Speaking to media including PlanetF1.com after the season finale, however, Perez conceded that he and Red Bull are “talking to try to see what’s best moving forward” ahead of a likely separation.

It is uncertain at this stage whether Perez will sever ties with Red Bull completely or remain on board in an ambassadorial role.

Perez has enjoyed significant sponsorship backing from a portfolio of Mexican sponsors since making his F1 debut with the Sauber team in 2011, with the Escuderia Telmex organisation – founded by Carlos Slim, among the world’s richest men, in 2002 – a loyal supporter of the Guadalajara-born star.

As rumours over Perez’s future swirled on Tuesday, the official Twitter account of Escuderia Telmex posted an image marking Red Bull’s achievements – four Drivers’ Championships, one runner-up spot in the Drivers’ standings, two Constructors’ titles, 58 race wins and 99 podiums – since Perez joined the team at the start of the 2021 season.

The image was accompanied by a caption reading: “Four historic years!”

Escuderia Telmex had been expected to cut ties with Red Bull at the end of the F1 2024 season regardless of any decision on Perez’s future, following the team’s announcement of an expanded partnership with rival telecommunications firm AT&T from F1 2025.

A continued agreement between Red Bull and Escuderia Telmex would have resulted in the highly unusual situation of an F1 team being sponsored by two competing brands.

Speaking to ESPN at the Mexican Grand Prix shortly after Red Bull’s extension with AT&T was announced, Mr Slim admitted Escuderia Telmex’s deal was unlikely to continue beyond F1 2024 – but reaffirmed the company’s commitment to sponsoring Perez.

He said at the time: “We are talking with the team, we are still in talks. It is not definite [that Telmex will continue with Red Bull], but the one we will always intend to continue with is Checo, without a doubt.

“The issue of Checo’s contract is independent of the issue of sponsorship for us. It has always been like that since he signed with the team.

“But if there was no longer the opportunity to continue with the team we would certainly continue with Checo.

“The intention is to continue with Checo. Wherever he is, we will be with him.”

Slim went on to raise the possibility that Escuderia Telmex could enter a relationship with F1 2024 Williams super sub Franco Colapinto, the 21-year-old Argentine who was briefly linked with replacing Perez last month.

If confirmed, Perez’s exit would almost certainly see Lawson promoted to Red Bull’s senior team after just 11 grand prix appearances spread across the 2023 and 2024 campaigns.

Lawson’s place alongside Yuki Tsunoda at the Racing Bulls sister team is expected to be taken by Red Bull junior Isack Hadjar, the 20-year-old French-Algerian who finished second in the F2 feeder series standings in 2024.

In an exclusive interview with PlanetF1.com in Abu Dhabi (bottom), Lawson declared himself ready to partner Verstappen and brushed off comparisons with Pierre Gasly and Alex Albon, who both struggled after being promoted to Red Bull Racing.

Lawson said: “He said: “I don’t know what [Gasly and Albon] felt when they were there.

“You can always look at it as an outsider and think: ‘This is what it looks like they felt.’ But I don’t know what it was like for them.

“I believe, for anybody to go up against Max, you have to be realistic and know that he’s the fastest guy on the grid right now and that you’re not going to be outqualifying the guy by half a second.

“It’s not going to be something that’s really going to be happening. For me, it’s more the opportunity that’s there to learn from the best.

“For me as a driver, to be able to go in against the guy who’s won four world championships and is well seasoned… he’s been in that car for a long time.

“That car is almost… not developed around him, but he’s been a massive part of developing that car and understands it very well.

“In terms of how to drive it, it’s all right there on paper.

“When you see all the data that he brings in, for me as a driver to be alongside that, to be able to learn from him and have all that access, I think that’s what’s exciting for me about the opportunity… if that opportunity was to come in the future.”

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