Red Bull mechanic reveals the ‘huge weight’ Sergio Perez was dealing with before he lost F1 seat

Sergio Perez has found himself out of F1 after 14 seasons in the pinnacle of motorsport.

The Mexican and Red Bull agreed to mutually terminate his contract at the end of the 2024 season. Perez had been number two to Max Verstappen since 2021 – the Dutchman’s longest-running teammate.

Despite achieving Red Bull’s first one-two finish in the Drivers’ Championship in 2023 with Verstappen, there were some concerns about Perez’s performance. His qualifying pace was noticeably off, but the Milton Keynes-based outfit opted to keep faith in the 35-year-old.

Perez hit a new low in 2024. After grabbing four podiums in the first five races, he would not finish in the top five after the Miami GP – finishing eighth in the standings with 285 fewer points than champion Verstappen.

Despite his struggles, Red Bull offered Perez a new two-year contract in the hopes his form would turn around. Gerhard Berger says no one understood Perez’s new deal – especially when his performance dropped even more afterwards.

Following a disastrous end to 2024 – finishing higher than 10th once in the final eight races, the Milton Keynes-based outfit parted ways with Perez. Liam Lawson will replace him after impressing at Racing Bulls.

Calum Nicholas feels Sergio Perez had ‘huge weight’ of expectations from his native Mexico

Christian Horner acknowledged Perez was under pressure midway through the season – the 35-year-old would have received no more pressure than what he got from his home nation.

Perez is idolised in Mexico as the country’s most successful F1 driver of all time. The Mexico City Grand Prix is a main staple of the North American season, with Red Bull mechanic Calum Nicholas stating he is ‘like God’ at the circuit.

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

Speaking on the High Performance podcast, Nicholas explained how the Mexican had a ‘huge weight’ on his shoulder to win the championship. The problem was he was facing Verstappen who has proven unbeatable at Red Bull since 2018.

“We were out in Mexico this year and we were talking to some people and they were saying to us that… in my mind it would have always been like they’re footballers and things like that, that would have been their biggest athletes”, he said.

“It’s quite clear when you’re in Mexico City, their biggest celebrity, their biggest athlete is Checo. Checo’s like God in Mexico. His billboards are everywhere, it must be such a huge pressure for him.

“And like you said, he was resilient. When Checo first came in, he was sort of finding his way into the team and putting himself in that position I think he did a great job of that, not bowing to the pressure, not letting it get in his head.

“But I think there comes a point where you’re like: ‘Look, I’m in a position where this car can win world championships and I want to win a world championship.’

“And obviously that’s a huge weight when the whole of Mexico wants you to do that as well. The problem is you’re up against the guy that is very, very hard to beat.”

What are Sergio Perez’s chances for an F1 return?

After Perez’s departure from Red Bull, many began to speculate where the 35-year-old would go next. Christian Horner ruled out a move to Racing Bulls – something that the likes of Pierre Gasly and Daniel Ricciardo have done in the past.

Perez’s father says ‘the movie is not closed’ as he hinted at a possible return to F1 in 2026. The Mexican will only return is a ‘very good opportunity’ comes about.

As a six-time Grand Prix winner with 281 race starts, Perez would provide great experience and significant commercial value to a team with his large sponsorship and following in Mexico.

The issue is that there are many closed doors on the grid, with several teams signing their drivers to long-term contracts. But there could be one opportunity available for the Mexican next season.

Perez’s team are ‘making moves’ to get him a seat at Cadillac in 2026. The American brand are set to become F1’s 11th team and are searching for their first two drivers.