Christian Horner ‘regrets’ sacking Red Bull driver as problems mount for F1 giants.

Red Bull team principal Christian Horner made the decision to sack the experienced Sergio Perez and has struggled to get performances out of his replacements this season.

Sergio Perez believes that Red Bull regret dropping him from the driver roster last season amid continued struggles for Max Verstappen’s team-mate. Perez was brutally axed by Red Bull in December midway through a dreadful campaign and was then unable to find a new seat at a rival manufacturer.

Red Bull have struggled with his replacements, with Liam Lawson and Yuki Tsunoda failing to live up to their billing. Lawson buckled under the pressure and was replaced by Tsunoda, who sits a lowly 15th in the standings, having taken just 10 points from as many races this season.

Perez is a hugely experienced driver but remains on the outside of the F1 grid, despite holding talks with Alpine over a potential return in 2026. It seems he holds something of a grudge against Red Bull team principal Christian Horner, who was ultimately the man to make the decision.

The 35-year-old has discussed the situation around his axing and clearly feels let down by the way Red Bull went about it. “It was a crucial point because I had signed a contract in Monaco and everyone was talking about my future,” Perez told the El Desde podcast.

“It would have been very easy for the team to protect me, but that did not happen. No one talked about anything else but me.”

And asked if Red Bull should apologize to him, Perez replied: “No. Ultimately, that’s how sport is. Decisions were made because they put too much pressure on themselves. I know that deep down they regret it. I have it from a very reliable source.”

Horner hasn’t openly admitted regretting Pérez’s dismissal**, but his recent move—replacing Lawson with Tsunoda, who has also underperformed—hints at dissatisfaction with his choice. When pressed on whether Red Bull might make another driver switch this season, Horner avoided a direct answer, joking:

“I think I’ll follow Flavio [Briatore]’s example and just say, ‘I’d rather not respond,’” he said with a laugh.

He then defended Tsunoda: “It’s still early for Yuki. He’s adapting—made Q3, scored points even from the pit lane, though he’s had some mishaps. There’s room to grow, and we’ll evaluate in due time.”

Pérez, during his four-year stint with Red Bull, claimed five victories and numerous podiums. His peak came in 2023, when he secured the team’s historic 1-2 championship finish behind Verstappen.