Four-time reigning Formula One world champion Max Verstappen will have a new teammate in 2025.
Red Bull Racing and Sergio Perez officially parted ways on Wednesday after months of speculation regarding the Mexican driver.
Thank you for these four years @redbullracing
— Sergio Pérez (@SChecoPerez) December 18, 2024
I wish you the best. pic.twitter.com/9vLUwvqBDl
Perez, nicknamed “Checo,” had not won a race since April 2023. Over that same span, Verstappen won 26 races and secured the drivers' world championship in both 2023 and 2024 to make it four straight titles. Perez finished second in the standings behind Verstappen in 2023 before fading to finish eighth in 2024 as Red Bull lost the constructors' title.
Over his four-year run with Red Bull, Perez won five races and secured 29 podium finishes. Prior to joining Red Bull in 2021, Perez spent 10 seasons driving for mid-field teams with one win and 10 podium finishes.
Perez, who turns 35 in January, is now left without a seat for the 2025 season. His driving future is unclear, but two more seats will open up in 2026 when American team Cadillac F1 enters as the 11th team on the grid. The other 16 seats outside of Red Bull Racing and Racing Bulls have already been filled for next season.
As for who will replace Perez, two candidates are Liam Lawson and Yuki Tsunoda, who finished the 2024 season driving for Red Bull's sister team. According to ESPN, Lawson reportedly is expected to get the nod over Tsunoda despite his lack of F1 experience (11 starts compared to 87 for Tsunoda).
The 2025 F1 season will kick off in Australia on March 16.
