Formula 1 saw multiple changes in the driver market for the 2025 season which will see several drivers leave the sport.
After finishing bottom of the Constructors’ Championship in 2024, Sauber opted to part ways with Zhou Guanyu and Valtteri Bottas after the former score the team their four points in Qatar.
While Zhou faces a spell out of F1, his teammate of three years will remain in the sport in some capacity as Bottas returns to Mercedes as their reserve driver.
Elsewhere, Kevin Magnussen will leave F1 for the third time in his career after his departure from Haas. The Dane will race with BMW in their endurance programme in 2025 before eyeing a possible return to the pinnacle of motorsport in 2026.
Franco Colapinto is set to be Williams’ reserve driver in 2025 behind Alex Albon and new signing Catlos Sainz. The Argentine had been in negotiations with Alpine over a potential seat, but talks have reportedly ‘broken down’ between the two parties.
The most high-profile driver to leave F1 for the 2025 season is Sergio Perez, with the Mexican confirming his exit from Red Bull not long after the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.
Sergio Perez told to go back to racing school for ‘theory lessons’ after torrid 2024 season
Joining the Milton Keynes-based outfit from Racing Point in 2021, Perez became the next driver to struggle in the second Red Bull seat beside Max Verstappen – with 2024 being a particularly dark season for the Mexican.
After narrowly scraping second in the Drivers’ Championship the year prior, the 34-year-old scored four podiums in the first five races of 2024, but he not finish in the top five again after the Miami Grand Prix. Perez finished the season eighth in the standings – his worst season with Red Bull.
Red Bull had offered a new contract to Perez in the hopes it would improve his form, but his performances only got worse as his poor results ultimately cost them the constructors’ title, making his position within the team untenable after months of pressure.
Helmut Marko says Perez ‘no longer fits’ at Red Bull as the Mexican confirmed his departure from the team before the 2025 season – being replaced by Racing Bulls driver Liam Lawson.
READ MORE: Sergio Perez’s life outside F1 from net worth to nickname
After such a dismal campaign – which saw him score just 49 points in the last 18 Grand Prix of the season – Michael Bleekemolen says Sergio Perez should go back to racing school for ‘theory lessons’ as he could not get his head around the Mexican’s struggles.
“Perez should have come back to our racing school, because things weren’t going quite as they should have. He needed some lengthy theory lessons first!” he said via RacingNews365.
“There’s something very strange going on there. The man has won some really difficult races, but then… Suddenly he’s gone. What’s going on there? Has a man like that lost his way?
“I think that’s a bit the case, because it’s something that’s in your head. A terrible amount of negativity in all the media, wherever it is, always nasty comments. Whether you watch an English channel or whatever, it does something to you. And I think that’s where the big problem lies.”
Is there any way back for Sergio Perez to Formula 1?
After his departure from Red Bull, it could be difficult for Perez to make his return to F1. But father Antonio Perez has hinted at a possible comeback if the right opportunity arises.
At 35 years old, the Mexican would provide a wealth of experience to an F1 team being a six-time race winner and a vice-champion.
Furthermore, Perez has huge commercial value given his significant financial backing and support in North America, making him an attractive option for 2026.
It is believed that Cadillac is Perez’s ‘preferred’ choice for an F1 return as the American brand prepare to enter the sport in 2026. The team are looking for an experienced driver and with the Mexican’s achievements and financial incentives, he would be hard to ignore for next year.
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