Sergio Perez’s departure from the Red Bull F1 team is set to be confirmed, with Liam Lawson taking his place.
Despite signing an extended deal in the summer, the Mexican has endured a tough season with Christian Horner’s squad and finished the season eighth in the F1 standings – almost 300 points behind title winning team Max Verstappen, with Red Bull slumping to third in the constructors championship after Ferrari and McLaren enjoyed resurgent seasons. That has seen the team miss out on millions in prize-money, with Perez now set to pay the price after months of speculation.
Sky Sports in Germany report that Perez will be axed by Red Bull on December 17, with RB driver Liam Lawson chosen to replace him after some impressive showings having replaced Daniel Ricciardo following his sacking by the Red Bull’s junior team after the Singapore GP in September. Perez is said to have been negotiating whether to remain on as an ambassador in 2025 or to walk away from the Red Bull brand altogether since the season-ending Abu Dhabi GP earlier this month.
Whilst ESPN say that: “An ambassadorial role would include marketing appearances and show runs – Perez signed a two-year contract extension to stay with Red Bull in May of this year. Red Bull contracts bind the driver to the company, rather than a particular team. The news is expected to be announced this week once Perez has decided which option he wants to take, although it is unclear whether Red Bull has given him a deadline to make that call.”
The decision will see a late reshuffle of the F1 grid for 2025 – which already has a very different look after seven-time champion Lewis Hamilton’s departure from Mercedes – with F2 star Isack Hadjar moving into Lawson’s spot alongside Yuki Tsunoda at RB, with the Japanese driver set for a fifth season at the junior team, despite making clear his desire to partner Verstappen and outqualifying Lawson 6-0 during their time together in 2024.
It would also mean an F1 grid without Sergio Perez on it for the first time since 2010 whilst Lawson would join the eight time title winners with just 11 F1 races under his belt.