Perez leaves Red Bull Racing

Sergio Perez has announced he is leaving Red Bull with immediate effect after a disappointing 2024 season.

The 34-year-old was given a two-year contract extension at the start of June, but his form had already started to decline by then, having made a strong start to the season in which he scored four podiums – including three runner-up Red Bull one-twos – in the top five Round.

After fourth place in Miami, Perez only collected 49 points in the remaining 18 race weekends and slipped from second to eighth place in the drivers’ standings. Although Red Bull’s competitiveness also declined, Max Verstappen scored 301 points and won five races in the same period.

Perez finished the year 285 points behind his teammate Verstappen, and the difference between the two was one of the reasons why Red Bull finished third in the constructors’ championship behind McLaren and Ferrari.

It has now been confirmed that an agreement has been reached for Perez to leave the team immediately. RACER expects Liam Lawson to be his successor in 2025.

“I am incredibly grateful for the last four years at Oracle Red Bull Racing and for the opportunity to race with such a great team,” said Perez. “Driving for Red Bull was an unforgettable experience and I will always cherish the successes we achieved together.

“We have broken records, achieved remarkable milestones and I have had the privilege of meeting so many incredible people along the way. A big thank you to everyone in the team, from management, engineers and mechanics, catering, food service, kitchen, marketing and communications to all the Milton Keynes staff. I wish you all the best for the future.

“It was also an honor for me to drive alongside Max 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 see each other again soon. And remember: never give up.”

With Lawson expected to succeed Perez, RB is likely to promote Red Bull junior Isack Hadjar to a race seat after his second place in the Formula 2 championship this season.

As it stands, Perez won’t be racing in 2025, but he will be one of many experienced drivers on the market ahead of Cadillac’s planned F1 entry in 2026. Valtteri Bottas, Kevin Magnussen and Zhou Guanyu are also in this year dropped from the start.

This story has been updated to include quotes from Perez.