Red Bull could be set to brutally axe another one of their drivers before the 2025 season.
This year has already seen the departure of Daniel Ricciardo from the Red Bull setup, who was sacked by RB and replaced by Liam Lawson from the Singapore Grand Prix onwards.
And following the season finale at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, Sergio Perez could suffer the same fate.
The Mexican has been struggling behind Max Verstappen at Red Bull long before the 2024 season. The team gave Perez a new two-year deal in the hopes his fortunes would improve, but they have since gotten substantially worse.
| Race | Pos. | Points |
| Azerbaijan | DNF | 0 |
| Singapore | 10 | 1 |
| United States | 7 | 6 |
| Mexico | 17 | 0 |
| Brazil | 11 | 1 |
| Las Vegas | 10 | 1 |
| Qatar | DNF | 0 |
The 34-year-old is enduring his worst season with Red Bull, having not finished in the top five since the Miami Grand Prix and has only finished in the top 10 once in the last seven races.
Heading into the season finale, it seems more likely than ever that Perez will be out of the team at the end of the year, with Lawson and Yuki Tsunoda battling to replace him.
Will Buxton says it ‘sucks’ that Red Bull will likely kick Sergio Perez ‘to the curb’ after Abu Dhabi
Red Bull are notorious for making harsh decisions on their drivers, putting too much pressure on them to perform before showing them the door – fates that the likes of Daniil Kvyat, Nyck de Vries, and Ricciardo have all suffered.
Perez looks very likely to join that list, and Will Buxton is not particularly impressed by how his situation has been handled. Speaking on the Formula 1 YouTube channel on the Weekend Warm-Up show, he expressed sympathy for the Mexican and hopes he can leave Red Bull on his own terms.
“I really feel for Checo in all of this. We have to bring this point up because we don’t just make this stuff up. It’s been rumbling along for half a season now that he’s going to be out of the seat at the end of the year. You don’t want to see it.
“I think we can all relate to being in a scenario where things haven’t quite worked out the way that you wanted them to and things start to spiral downwards.
“And for him, watching him in Qatar getting knocked out early in quali for the Sprint and all of that, that’s a guy who’s had the stuffing knocked out of him over and over and over again.
“He’s better than that, he’s worth more than that. I hope he gets to go out on his own terms. I don’t think he will, I think they’re just going to kick him to the curb in the off-season, and it sucks for him.
“Because he’s a great driver, he’s a race winner, he deserves more respect than that. I don’t like the way it’s gone down, but this place is ruthless, it’s cutthroat, it always has been.”
Could Isack Hadjar replace Sergio Perez in the Red Bull setup in 2025?
Perez has been told to produce a stunning result in Abu Dhabi to save his seat, planting more pressure on the 34-year-old to keep himself in F1 next season.
RB drivers Lawson and Tsunoda will be waiting with anticipation to see if either of them will be in the Red Bull next season. If one of them is promoted, it will open the door for the second seat at the Faenza squad.
READ MORE: Who is Isack Hadjar as Red Bull prospect gets Abu Dhabi GP outing? Age, nationality, stats, and more
F2 title contender Isack Hadjar will drive with Red Bull in FP1 in Abu Dhabi alongside Perez, giving him a great opportunity to prove himself against the driver he could be replacing.
Hadjar has been told to perform well in FP1 and in F2 to cement his place in F1 next season. The Frenchman will be looking to go better than his disappointing first outing with Red Bull at Silverstone.
Hadjar may already know that he racing with RB next season as some have noticed a change in demeanour from the 20-year-old. Time will tell if the young talent does get his chance, but it certainly does not look good for Perez in Abu Dhabi.
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