Sergio Perez tells £5.5m-a-year driver to ‘go kill it’ in 2025 ahead of F1 75 launch event

Sergio Perez will be off the F1 grid for the first time since 2010 after leaving Red Bull at the end of the 2024 season.

The Mexican spent four years as Max Verstappen’s teammate at Red Bull after leaving Racing Point in 2021. Perez struggled to compete against the Dutchman with regular Q1 exits damaging the team.

Barely managing to finish P2 in the drivers’ championship in 2023, last season was a new low for the 35-year-old. Perez finished eighth in the standings after not finishing in the top five after the Miami Grand Prix.

The Mexican’s poor form ultimately cost Red Bull in the constructors’ championship as they finished third behind McLaren and Ferrari. Red Bull cut ties with Perez at the end of the season and replaced him with Liam Lawson for 2025.

The 35-year-old’s departure was premature in terms of contract as the Milton Keynes-based outfit had given him a new two-year deal halfway through the season. Gerhard Berger says no one understood Perez’s new contract amid his dismal results.

As he faces a spell on the sidelines, Perez is looking to keep himself involved in the world of F1 – and he is keeping in touch with some familiar faces.

Sergio Perez tells Nico Hulkenberg to ‘go kill it’ in 2025 ahead of F1 75 launch event

In many ways, the 2025 F1 season kicks off on Tuesday night with the F1 75 launch event. Held at the O2 Arena in London, the special evening will see all 10 teams unveil their liveries for the upcoming season.

The event celebrates the 75th anniversary of F1 with comedian Jack Whitehall hosting the event, as well as musical performances from the likes of Take That and Machine Gun Kelly. All 20 drivers will be in attendance to showcase the new designs – including Nico Hulkenberg.

The German will return to Sauber in 2025 having raced with the Hinwil-based outfit in 2013. Hulkenberg was teammates with Perez in his Force India days from 2014-2016.

READ MORE: Sauber driver Nico Hulkenberg’s life outside F1 from wife to height

Ahead of the event, the £5.5m-a-year driver received a message from Perez via Instagram. Posting the hilarious exchange on his Instagram story, Hulkenberg was told to ‘go kill it’ in 2025 by his ex-teammate.

Responding to one of the 37-year-old’s pictures, Perez took a shot at Hulkenberg saying: “You look f—— old,” followed by three cry-laughing emojis.

Hulkenberg responded: “Ah thanks for the love Bud!,” to which Perez replied by wishing him well for the season: “Hahah love you man! Go kill it,” followed by: “We’re both old don’t worry.”

How will Nico Hulkenberg fare against Gabriel Bortoleto in 2025?

Sauber will field an all-new driver pairing in 2025. F2 champion Gabriel Bortoleto will partner Hulkenberg at the Swiss team in what is their final season in F1.

The pair will become Audi works drivers from 2026 when the German manufacturer takes over from Sauber. Hulkenberg and Bortoleto will be looking to push the team on after finishing rock bottom of the constructors’ standings in 2024.

Hulkenberg thinks he will play Rubens Barrichello’s role at Sauber – in that he will be the experienced head to guide Bortoleto as Barrichello did for the German at Williams in 2010.

But the 37-year-old could face some competition from the other side of the garage. Bortoleto comes to F1 off the back of winning the F3 and F2 titles consecutively as a rookie.

Bortoleto impressed his engineers with ‘excellent’ lap times in testing. The Brazilian is looking to stamp his authority in F1 and challenge the rest of the field.