Perez announced on social media today that he and the team had “reached an agreement to part ways”.
Finlay McSporran
Published: 18:20, 18th December 2024
This announcement comes after weeks of speculation surrounding his seat due to his poor performances this season that ultimately cost Redbull the constructors championship, as he finished a lonely P8 in the standings while his teammate Max Verstappen wrapped up his fourth consecutive world title.
Perez joined Redbull in 2021 and, at the time, looked to be the ideal teammate to Max Verstappen that the team had been searching for ever since Daniel Riccardo left the team in 2019, as he helped Max win his first world championship and was there to pick up the pieces if something went wrong for the Dutchman.
However, mid-way through last season Perez’s form dipped as he failed to keep up with his teammate and began to struggle in qualifying which put him in on the backfoot for the races, only just securing P2 in the standings at the last race in Abu Dhabi, despite being in what was statistically the most dominant car F1 has ever seen.
There were signs of improvement at the start of this year, as Perez finished on the podium four times in the first five races. However just like last year his form began to dip mid-season, only this time there would be real consequences for Redbull, as the chasing pack had caught up meaning that they didn’t have a number two driver to help Verstappen fight against McLaren and Ferrari, who ultimately finished ahead of Redbull in the standings, costing them tens of millions of dollars in prize money.
“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” said Perez.
“A big thank you to every person in the team from the management, engineers and mechanics, catering, hospitality, kitchen, marketing and communications, as well as everyone at Milton Keynes, I wish you all the best for the future”.
Redbull boss Christian Horner said that he would “like to thank Checo for all he has done for Oracle Red Bull Racing over the past four seasons.
“From the moment he joined in 2021 he proved himself to be an extraordinary team player, helping us to two constructors’ titles and to our first one-two finish in the drivers’ championship.
“His five wins, all on street circuits, were also a spectacular mark of his determination to always push to the limit. While Checo will not race for the team next season, he will always be an extremely popular team member and a treasured part of our history. Thank you, Checo.”
While a replacement for the Mexican is yet to be announced, it has been heavily rumoured that Liam Lawson will take his seat next year, despite only having 11 races under his belt. Formula 2 runner Isack Hadjar will likely take the final seat at VCARB for next season.
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