Perez’s Exit From Red Bull Looking Increasingly Likely

Sergio Perez’s Red Bull seat has been a hotly contested topic, with many speculating whether the Mexican will continue to drive for the team in the 2025 Formula 1 season. As the Abu Dhabi season finale looms, his future at the team has once again been brought to the forefront of speculation. 

Analysts suspect that Perez’s Red Bull career will come to an end after the final race of the season, which will also put his F1 career on hold as all the seats for the nine other teams on the grids have been filled. 

This comes as no surprise as Perez has had an extremely challenging season, which is in stark contrast to that of teammate Max Verstappen, who just took his fourth World Championship title at the glitzy Las Vegas Grand Prix in November.

Perez has only scored a single point in the last four Grands Prix and scored only 152 of Red Bull’s 581 points across the season. And with Abu Dhabi around the corner, the odds are not looking any better. 

Perez has won six races in previous years and has been on the podium 39 times, but it is highly unlikely that he will match Verstappen in the final race. Those visiting crypto betting sites for their quick transaction speeds and anonymity will notice that Sergio Perez was given odds of 200/1 to win, compared to Verstappen’s odds of 2/1. That means there is a 0.5% chance of Perez winning, while Verstappen is given a 33.3% chance. 

Although Perez was confirmed for a two-year extension with Red Bull, question marks remain. Since he was announced as next year’s driver, his best finish was sixth place.

Christian Horner, Red Bull’s Team Principal, has encouraged Perez to reach his own conclusions regarding his future after a DNF at Qatar. “It’s not an enjoyable situation for Checo being in this position, with speculation every week. He’s old enough and wise enough to know what the situation is. Let’s see where we are after Abu Dhabi,” said Horner, referring to Perez by his affectionate nickname, Checo. 

When queried by the media about whether Perez should volunteer to walk away from the team, Horner said, “I’m going to let Checo come to his own conclusions. Nobody is forcing him one way or another, it is not a nice situation for him to be in.”

Despite these statements from Horner, it might not be easy to remove Perez from his seat. The Mexican has a contract with Red Bull for 2025, and there is no public information about exit clauses. However, there is speculation that there might be a clause stating that if he does not perform, the contract will be canceled. 

Red Bull is also enjoying around $30 million in sponsorship money that Perez brings in for the team, making it a tough call for the team that is no longer in the running for the Constructors’ Championship. 

Then there is the question about who will replace Perez. RB driver Yuki Tsunoda has been vying for the seat, however, rookie Liam Lawson is reportedly also being considered, despite driving aggressively in the last few races and even clashing with Perez at the Mexican Grand Prix.