David Coulthard describes ‘vitriol’ he received from Sergio Perez fans after Red Bull contract standoff

Sergio Perez is out of Red Bull ahead of the 2025 Formula 1 season after a dismal campaign last year.

The Mexican had struggled to compete alongside teammate Max Verstappen in his four years with the Milton Keynes-based outfit. In 2024, Perez hit an all-new low.

The 34-year-old only managed 49 points in the last 18 Grand Prix as he again struggled to get to grips with machinery that did not suit his driving style. While he finished eighth in the standings, Verstappen grabbed nine victories and won his fourth consecutive championship.

Red Bull extended Perez’s contract by another two years midway through last season, hoping it would help improve his form. If anything, it got worse as his disappointing results ultimately cost the team in the Constructors’ Championship.

The Mexican’s first lap retirement proved the final straw for Christian Horner and Helmut Marko as they soon after discussed the 34-year-old’s future with the Red Bull hierarchy. Sure enough, Perez’s exit was confirmed after four years with the team – Racing Bulls driver Liam Lawson will replace him.

David Coulthard received ‘vitriol’ from Sergio Perez fans but his view was ultimately right

Given his new two-year contract, Red Bull would have had to pay a substantial fee to release the Mexican. David Coulthard previously said he would lose respect for Perez if he and his management entered a standoff with the team over how much he would be paid when he left.

Now, the former McLaren and Red Bull driver has shared that he received ‘vitriol’ from Perez fans for his opinion on the matter. However, Coulthard would ultimately be proved right as the ‘facts’ were that he was dominated by Verstappen across 2024.

“No surprise to me, the big news at Red Bull Racing is that Checo Perez has been stood down. I voiced an opinion on this very show ahead of the end of the season,” Coulthard said via te Formula For Success podcast.

“I just felt that it was a standoff between himself and his management. I took some heat from Mexico, all sorts of the usual vitriol where: ‘What do you know? What did you achieve?’ All that sort of good stuff!

“But the fact is, I was merely basing an opinion on, as I just said, the facts. And the facts are Checo, if it was a personality contest and one of the most liked drivers in the paddock contest, he would still be in the seat.

“He’s a brilliant man, done a great job and he has won lots of Grand Prix and he can be incredibly proud of his performance. But last season, he didn’t match Max and it cost the team valuable points in the Constructors’ Championship.”

Peter Windsor gives two reasons why Sergio Perez will not join Cadillac in 2026

After his Red Bull exit, many have wondered if Perez could make a return to F1.

Despite his struggles with the Milton Keynes-based outfit, the 34-year-old will still prove a lucrative option in 2026 given he is a six-time race winner and brings significant financial backing and a huge fanbase from North America.

READ MORE: Sergio Perez’s life outside F1 from net worth to nickname

It is suspected Perez will join Cadillac in 2026 as the sport’s 11th team searches for their first two drivers in F1. The American brand are looking for an experienced driver to go alongside an American talent, and Perez certainly fits the bill for the former.

However, Peter Windsor thinks Cadillac will not sign Perez because of their search for an American driver and the fact they will want someone who can be on the pace straight away.

As it stands, Perez does not have a plan for 2025 in terms of a racing schedule, and a spell on the sidelines out of a car could be costly in his bid to find a way back to F1.