Helmut Marko pinpoints why Sergio Perez ‘not longer fits’ at Red Bull after F1 exit

Helmut Marko has addressed Sergio Perez’s exit from Red Bull for the first time since the team delivered the news they are parting ways ahead of 2025.

Perez originally signed a one-year extension on his contract in June following a strong start to the season, however, it turned out to be a mistake from Red Bull.

After a heavy crash in Monaco and another embarrassing retirement in Canada, Perez’s season started to spiral into a series of disappointing results.

In 16 races he only contributed 43 points to Red Bull’s total, effectively costing them a chance to defend their Constructors’ Championship. Although Perez will still be involved with Red Bull in an ambassadorial role, he will be replaced by Liam Lawson next year.

Discussing the reasons behind why Red Bull chose to end their agreement with Perez, team advisor Helmut Marko explained when speaking to Kleine Zeiltung.

Helmut Marko explains ‘drop in performance’ behind Sergio Perez axe

In the four seasons Perez was at Red Bull, he only managed to take five victories. All of these were at street circuits, with none coming at any permanent facility.

Perez last won a race at the 2023 Azerbaijan GP which was in the first part of that year, with him failing to finish in the top six throughout 2024.

He finished the year in eighth in the Drivers’ Championship, which was 285 points behind Max Verstappen, capping off a difficult partnership according to Marko.

“He has experienced a certain drop in performance, although the overall balance over the years has been positive,” said Marko.

“In 2021, he contributed a lot to Max’s first world championship title, winning a total of five Grands Prix and being vice world champion. But now something between this car and his driving style no longer fits.”

What is next for Sergio Perez?

Perez brought a considerable amount of financial backing to Red Bull through his contract, which was one of the main sticking points for the team when it came to negotiating his exit.

Red Bull have received more than £100 million from Telemex, a Mexican telecommunications company, since he joined the team in 2021.

With that kind of leverage, it is possible that Perez could seek drives elsewhere in F1 should a team want to negotiate.

Although Perez does not have much interest in racing outside of F1, he could also look towards drives in IndyCar or Formula E.