Sergio Perez signed a new Red Bull contract ahead of the Canadian Grand Prix last June. The goal was to banish any anxieties over his future and unlock his best form.
Perez was doing exactly what was required at the start of the season. Max Verstappen won four of the first five races, and he joined him on the podium every time – including three runner-up finishes.
The Mexican wasn’t challenging Verstappen in a meaningful way, but Red Bull didn’t need him to do that. They looked set to retain the constructors’ title at a canter.
However, a major McLaren upgrade at the Miami Grand Prix wiped out their advantage. Ferrari and, on their day, Mercedes soon reached Red Bull’s level too.
As the Milton Keynes outfit tried to revive their dominance, they pursued a development direction that, based on driver feedback, made the car harder to drive. And Perez rapidly unravelled.
A Q2 exit at the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix in May sparked a disastrous run of form. By December, Red Bull felt they had go back on their commitment for 2025 and 2026, bringing in Liam Lawson instead.
Drive to Survive microphones pick up what Christian Horner said after Sergio Perez crash at British Grand Prix
Perez recovered to eighth at Imola but he crashed out of the following race at Monaco after qualifying 16th. Despite signing a new deal pre-Canada, he repeated his Saturday showing before another race-ending accident in slippery conditions.
His weekends in Austria and Spain were more stable, if underwhelming, as he picked up a P8 and a P7. But his experience at Silverstone was truly wretched.
Perez spun at the end of a weather-affected Q1 and beached his car in the gravel. On the latest season of Drive to Survive, the reaction of Red Bull team principal Christian Horner is revealed.
“What the f— do we do with this one?” he asked. “If we keep going like this, we’re f——. I just don’t get it with Checo.”
The former McLaren driver completed one of his poorest weekends of the year by finishing 17th, two laps down on the leaders. Red Bull engineers approached Horner for crisis talks in the paddock.
Karun Chandhok suspects Red Bull picked the wrong driver to replace Sergio Perez
Former Red Bull mechanic Calum Nicholas says Perez was carrying a ‘huge weight’ as the idol of so many Mexican fans. That, combined with the relentlessness of Verstappen, may have been too much to bear.
It’s unclear whether he’ll ever return to Formula 1. Cadillac have two open seats for the 2026 season, but Perez’s stock has fallen sharply on the back of 2024.
Daniil Kvyat says Perez has lowered the bar for Lawson, his inexperienced replacement. Alex Albon and Pierre Gasly have previously struggled in the seat.
However, Karun Chandhok is surprised Red Bull didn’t go for Albon after deciding not to sign Carlos Sainz. The Thai driver has grown in stature at Williams ever since he was dropped at the end of 2020.
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