Sergio Perez has officially announced his departure from Red Bull Racing, bringing an end to his four-year stint with the team after a challenging 2024 campaign .
The Mexican driver, who joined the squad in 2021, leaves with immediate effect following a mutual agreement with the team in the wake of Formula 1’s season finale in Abu Dhabi.
Perez’s 2024 campaign was marked by his persistent underperformance relative to his Red Bull teammate Max Verstappen and his struggles to adapt to the team’s RB20, a significant factor in the Milton Keynes outfit losing ground to the F1’s Constructors’ championship.
While the Mexican had consistently maintained his intention to honor his contract, which ran through 2026, the rumors of an early departure lingered.
On Wednesday, the official announcement arrived, confirming what many had suspected, that team and driver would be parting ways, effective immediately.
The news, although widely anticipated, still carries a weight of finality. Perez’s four-year tenure with the team, a period that had seen both triumphs and tribulations, has come to an end.
In a statement released to the public, Perez expressed his gratitude for his time with the team.
“I’m incredibly grateful for the past four years with Red Bull Racing and for the opportunity to race with such an amazing team,” said the 34-year-old.
“Driving for Red Bull has been an unforgettable experience, and I will always cherish the success we achieved together. We broke records, reached remarkable milestones, and I’ve had the privilege of meeting so many incredible people along the way
“A big thank you to every person in the team, from management, engineers, mechanics, catering, hospitality, kitchen, marketing and communications, as well as everyone at Milton Keynes. I wish you all the best for the future.
“It’s also been an honor to race alongside Max as a team-mate all these years and to share in our success. A special thank you to the fans around the world and especially to the Mexican fans for your unwavering support every day. We’ll meet again soon. And remember…never give up.”
As for Perez, there were rumors that he might continue to stay with Red Bull, perhaps as a substitute for a driver taking on the Test-Res role, but this never came to pass.
“I would like to thank Checo for all he has done for Oracle Red Bull Racing for the last four years,” Red Bull team chief Christian Horner said.
Since signing with us in 2021, he demonstrated himself to be an exceptional Team member that contributed to our two Constructors’ championships and the first 1-2 standing in the Drivers’ championship. His five wins, all on street circuits as well, were also a spectacular proof of his willingness to never back down to the last margin.
The good news is that even though Checo will not race for the Team next year, he will always remain an incredibly popular and valued Team member and part of Team history. Thank you, Checo.”
Perez’s disappearance means a similar reset, now Verstappen gets the coveted seat for himself. New question is who will replace him the most probable candidates are Red Bull junior drivers Liam Lawson and Yuki Tsunoda.
As expected, Lawson is currently regarded as the frontrunner to the challenging position. With this confirmation of Perez’s move, the people around Formula 1 now know that it’s their turn (Red Bull) to announce the new driver for the team which will be an interesting new page of the story.