Sergio Perez claimed that Red Bull Racing is “very sorry” to have sacked him after the end of the 2024 F1 season. The team had given him a two-year contract extension earlier in the season but terminated it after his performance fell off compared to his teammate Max Verstappen.
Perez has been a part of the Red Bull family since the 2021 season. He won multiple races with the team and was also partly responsible for Verstappen’s maiden championship victory. While he performed quite consistently, his performance seemed to take a hit during the second half of 2023.
Although he improved it quite a bit in early 2024, it took turns for the worse later that season. With McLaren coming in strong, RBR began losing its dominance at the top. It was around this time that Sergio ‘Checo’ Perez’s performance was criticized.
Red Bull then replaced him for this season. However, the team’s overall performance took a hit with Liam Lawson. They replaced him with Yuki Tsunoda after just two races, but he hasn’t been able to perform, either. Overall, the team has suffered a great loss of points since Perez’s sacking.
Amidst the circumstances, Sergio Perez made a major claim. He mentioned that RBR regrets sacking him, further stating that he knows this from a “very good” source.
“I know that deep down they are very sorry, I know that from a very good source,” Perez said (via Autosport). “People might think I’m happy about it, but no… we had a great team, and in the end, it fell apart, little by little.”
Perez didn’t get a seat with another team this season. However, he is not all out of racing. While he has been out of the F1 spotlight, he might make a striking return next season.
Sergio Perez deemed as favorite for 2026 F1 Cadillac seat
Cadillac’s entry on the F1 grid next season was approved earlier this year by the FIA and the Formula One Management. They will be the 11th team on the grid and the second American one after Haas. Cadillac will use Ferrari power units until 2029 when they will ultimately begin using their own.
While the team prepares their entry next year, they haven’t confirmed drivers so far. However, there have been quite a few speculations regarding this. Valtteri Bottas emerged as a favorite after his social media post, which teased a possible ‘Cadillac seat.’
Speculations also predict that the team could opt for Sergio Perez as their second driver, considering his nationality and experience. The team might not be performing very well initially, and having two experienced and consistent drivers would help them build from the bottom.
Valtteri Bottas and Sergio Perez seem to be the best pair for Cadillac next season. However, any such information is yet to be confirmed by the team.
