Five key moments that cost Sergio Perez his Red Bull F1 drive for 2025
A look at the key moments that cost Sergio Perez his Red Bull F🦂1 drive for 20൩25

168澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果历史:Sergio Perez’s F1 career has come to an end - for now at least - following Red Bull’s decision to replace him with 168澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果历史:Liam Lawson for 2025.
Perez’s form in 2024 was unsustainable, finishing an astonishing 280 points behind Red Bull teammate 168澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果历史:Max Verstappen. His results meant that Red Bull dropped to third in ✃the F1 constructors’ championship in 2024, falli꧅ng behind McLaren and Ferrari.
The lateness of the decision means there are no seats available on the grid for Perez in 2025, meaning a year on the sidelines is enforced. Given the stress and ꧋pressure he’s been under, combined with the poor results, it might not be a bad thing.
If Perez wants to return to F1 in the future, his prowess in the midfield combined with his significant financial backing makes a c♉omeback possible - should he ꦡwant it.
�🃏�But what were the key moments behind his ultimate axing?
The cracks start to show in 2023
Perez’s mid-season dips have been a common occurrence throughout hi🦩s four years with Red Bull - but he’s typically been able to rediscover his form before the end of the season. In 2021, Perez went eight races without a podium during the European leg of the campaign before ending it strongly with a number of rostrum appearancꦫes.
Similarly, in 2022, he scored one podium between Canada and Monza (a six-race run), but ag🐼ain, he hit back at the end of the year with arguably the best win of his career at the Singapore Grand Prix.
His struggles in 2023 were more pronounced, particularly in qualifying. Perez failed to make it into Q3💖♎ in five consecutive races despite driving the most dominant car in F1 history.
Even after that, Perez never qualified higher than third, indicating to Red Bull that the cracks were there. Red Bull boss Christian Horner was ultimately satisfied, though, as Perez held on to second in the drivers’ championship, giving them a 1-2 in the standings - something they didn’t achieve with 168澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果历史:Sebastian Vettel and Mark Webber.
Missing in Australia
Pere♌z started 2024 strongly with four podiums in the opening five races.🐻 However, an early DNF for Verstappen left a win on the table for Perez.
It was Ferrari who capitalised, taking a 1-2🎉 finish at Albert Park. For Perez, he was in no man’s land, coming home in a lacklustre fifth place.
A grid penalty put him on the back foot - but it was a missed opportunity fꩵor Perez at a time when Red Bull hadꦆ a car that was clearly the class of the field.
Contract extension doesn’t address slump
The Mexican’s typical mid-season slump started to creep in with a torrid Monaco weekend. On the eve of the next race in Canada, Red Bꩲull shocked the world by handing him a contract extension until the end of 2025.
Despite his dip ဣin form, Red Bull wanted to give Perez assurances and one less thing to worry abဣout.
Later in the year, Horner conceded that it simply didn’t work, with his form only getting🍸 worse.
“Obviously at the time, Sergio was perf𓆉orming extremely well. I think he had four podiums in the first five races.
“And in order to settle his mind and extend that run of form for the rest of the season, we elected to go early, which obviously didn't work. So, that's just life somet💞imes,” Horner saﷺid.
His form was so poor that Red Bull considered replacing him during the summ﷽er break.
Missed opportunity in Baku
After retaining his seat after the summer break amid intense speculation that 168澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果历史:Daniel Ricciardo would replace him, Azerbaijan provided an opportunity for Perez to score a land♕mark result.
Baku is the only track on the calendar where Perez has been able to genuinely outperform Verstappen - something Red Bull were banking on given t💜he mini run of street circuits. To Perez’s credit, he performed well in Baku, outpacing Verstappen on merit.
He challenged 168澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果历史:Oscar Piastri and 168澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果历史:Charles Leclerc for the win but made contact with Carlos Sainz in ಞthe closing laps, putting both drivers in the wall.
Unnecessary crash damage combined with a collision that was arguably more Perez’s faulಌt made for another missed opportunity.
Home turf embarrassment
Things only got worse for Perez in the final races of t🤡he season, but his home event in Mexico City posed an opportunity to return to form.
Perez blamed a brake issue for his Q1 elimination in front of his 𒅌home crowd. Meanwh🐼ile, his race day performance was borderline embarrassing as he was penalised for starting too far forwards in his grid box.
His battle with his ultimate successor, Lawson, resulted in damage as he got lapped and finished last in the classification. Perez would go on to score just two points in the final five races - fewer than Sauber’s 168澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果历史:Zhou Guanyu.
His results put Red Bull out of constructors’ title contention heading in🏅to Abu Dhabi, leaving them with a key decision to make ahead of the New Year. Perez enjoyed four seasons with Red Bull, finishing runner-up once and helping them win two constructors’ titles.
The timing of his arrival coincided with Red Bull’s return to title contention - a luxury 168澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果历史:Pierre Gasly or 168澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果历史:Alex Albon didn’t get to enjoy.
Perez will bow out of F1, br🌊uised from the intense competition and in need of a break. Whethe🌱r he returns to F1 depends on his motivation to ply his trade in the midfield and whether teams believe he is still a capable performer on a grid full of young, exciting talent.

With a sh💎arp eye for F1’s controversies and storylines, Connor is the heartbeat of our unbiased reporting.