Sergio Perez’s 2024 Formula 1 season with Red Bull was nothing short of a disaster, as they failed to retain their Constructors’ Championship crown.
Max Verstappen’s performance wasn’t an issue, as he raced to a fourth consecutive Drivers’ Championship with two races to spare.
It indicates that the car had plenty of pace, but Perez suffered from a braking issue which dented his speed and confidence throughout the year.
He’s now gone 19 races without a podium after a promising start to the campaign and was the slowest of any of the drivers in the top four teams, including Lewis Hamilton who struggled this year.
It means that Perez could be leaving Red Bull due to his poor performance ahead of the 2025 season, despite holding a contract.
It’s too late for him to find another drive, so it could also spell the end of his Formula 1 career if he is let go in the coming weeks.
Juan Pablo Montoya told that Sergio Perez cost Red Bull ‘more than’ £23m this season
To go with his struggles around the track, the Mexican was also involved in his fair share of incidents and crashes throughout the season.
Perez’s Baku crash with Carlos Sainz saw him take most blame, while significant blunders in Monaco and Hungary did him no favours either.
Even team boss Christian Horner showed signs of being done with Perez towards the end of the season, the first glimmer of a change in attitude.
Speaking on W Radio Colombia’s YouTube channel, ex-F1 race winner Juan Pablo Montoya says he was told how much the 34-year-old cost the team, presumably in damage and the Constructors’ Championship.
“This year, they lost someone told me that it was like 50 million that they lost,” he said. “Today, 30 and today 50 I think. I saw 30 and I heard 50. I saw the two numbers and I think it is more than 30.”
Who could replace Sergio Perez at Red Bull for the 2025 F1 season?
There are a few candidates for a drive with Red Bull for 2025, consisting of two drivers from within their ranks, and an outside shot for someone from another team.
Yuki Tsunoda has been the team leader of the Visa Cash App RB team for a while and was consistent towards the end of the year.
He beat new teammate Liam Lawson, who is also vying for an opportunity with the senior team, 6-0 in the qualifying battle.
There have been rumours that Red Bull prefers Lawson to replace Perez for the seat, but he hasn’t done anything outstanding to prove that only he warrants that chance.
Interest has rapidly cooled in Williams’ Franco Colapinto, who was an outsider to begin with, but it seems that he will have to wait until 2026 for a shot at racing on the grid again.
