Sergio Perez‘s time at Red Bull Racing is coming to an end after four seasons, with the team choosing to bring in Liam Lawson for 2024. It’s a tough break for the Mexican driver, who now finds himself without a seat in Formula 1.
The decision wasn’t entirely surprising. Perez hasn’t made it to the podium since the Chinese Grand Prix, and he’s been struggling to keep pace with his teammate Max Verstappen all season.
He was actually the only driver in a top car who didn’t manage to win a single race this year.
Red Bull’s advisor Helmut Marko says Perez didn’t see this coming early in the season. “At the beginning he didn’t. He kept hoping to find his old form again and again,” Marko told Sport.de.
It’s worth remembering that Perez isn’t exactly a rookie. He won five Grand Prix races with Red Bull and finished as runner-up in the championship last year.
But things just weren’t clicking anymore.
“Then he finally realized that a comeback in this setting wasn’t possible for him and that parting ways would be best,” Marko explained. “There are still all kinds of possibilities for him in the future.”
Despite being left without a seat for next year, Perez isn’t giving up on F1 just yet. Marko thinks the 33-year-old is still hoping for a return to the grid.
“If he sits on the sidelines for one year, then of course, as an experienced driver, there can always be new opportunities for him,” Marko said.
While all the seats for 2024 are taken, F1’s driver market is always unpredictable. With Perez’s experience and proven ability to win races, he might just find his way back to the grid in 2025.
