Mexican Formula One driver Sergio Perez will part ways with Red Bull Racing (RBR), effective immediately. Previously, Perez signed a contract that would have kept him on at RBR through the 2026 racing season, but after a tough go in 2024, Perez and RBR decided they’d be better off apart.
Ford Red Bull Racing entry in 2002
According to a report from Formula1.com, Perez earned just nine points through the last eight Grand Prix events of the 2024 racing season. He is credited with an eighth-place result in the driver’s championship. As recently as November, Perez stated he fully expected to continue with RBR in 2025, but his lackluster performance raised doubts about his future. Ultimately, Perez and RBR elected to end their four-year partnership, leaving Perez without a seat in 2025.
“I’m incredibly grateful for the past four years with Oracle Red Bull Racing and for the opportunity to race with such an amazing team,” Perez said. “Driving for Red Bull has been an unforgettable experience and I’ll always cherish the successes we achieved together. We broke records, reached remarkable milestones, and I’ve had the privilege of meeting so many incredible people along the way.”
He added, “It has also been an honour to race alongside Max [Verstappen] as a teammate 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.”
Perez earned five race wins in Red Bull Racing machinery and helped the team with the constructor’s championship in 2022 and 2023.
Liam Lawson of New Zealand is expected to join RBR in Perez’s stead in 2025. However, RBR itself stated that its driver lineup will be announced “in due course.”
As a reminder, Ford will partner with RBR beginning in 2026 to produce power units. The Blue Oval understands that shacking up with RBR is a big risk, which means the partnership must be successful in the long run. At the very least, Ford expects to learn some valuable lessons from the world of open-wheel racing as it continues to develop its next-generation all-electric powertrain technology at the same time.
For what it’s worth, it seems like Ford would have been happy to keep Perez on board during its partnership. Ford CEO Jim Farley showed up to talks with RBR sporting a Sergio Perez hat, not only showing his support for F1 as a whole, but recognizing the driver’s accomplishments while he was at it.
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