Mexican driver Sergio ‘Checo’ Pérez and the Red Bull Racing team have confirmed that the driver will leave his seat at the Formula 1 team and will not compete for them in the 2025 season.
Pérez, who had a difficult year and finished in eighth place in the Constructors’ Championship, had been evaluating the terms of his contract since the start of the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix weekend.
Although he was offered an ambassadorial role, the driver decided to completely end his contract with Red Bull.
Why did Sergio ‘Checo’ Pérez leave Red Bull?
On June 4, 2024, Red Bull had announced the renewal of Pérez’s contract, but after evaluating his performance, they decided to terminate the agreement.
Thus, the four-season relationship in which Pérez was a full-time driver for the team comes to an end, working alongside Max Verstappen to secure two Constructors’ World Championships (2022 and 2023) and supporting his teammate in winning four Drivers’ World Championships in 2021 and 2024.
In particular, his battle with Lewis Hamilton in 2021 was key for Verstappen to become the champion that year.
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Who is Sergio ‘Checo’ Pérez?
Sergio Pérez is the most successful Mexican driver in Formula 1 history, being the only one to have won the Constructors’ World Championship and the Drivers’ World Championship runner-up as a full-time driver.
He started his career at a young age in karting, beginning at six years old in 1996, where he finished his first season in Mexico in second place overall, with four victories in his category, marking the start of a promising career.
He soon stood out by winning in the Master Kadets and Shifter 125cc categories, and became the youngest champion in the Shifter 80cc category, showcasing his exceptional talent. This success caught the attention of the Escudería Telmex talent scouts, allowing him to make the leap to professional competition in 2004. Checo Pérez joined the Skip Barber National Championship in the United States and quickly moved to Europe to compete in Formula BMW.
After two years with the Rosberg team in Formula BMW, achieving notable positions (14th and 6th overall), he moved to the A1 Grand Prix and then to Formula 3, where he shone by winning two-thirds of the races in the British F3 Championship (National Class) in 2007 with the T-Sport team. In 2008, he finished fourth in the international class of the British F3 Championship, opening the door for his move to GP2, the next step towards F1.
In GP2, Checo Pérez excelled in the GP2 Asia Series, winning dominantly in Bahrain. The following year, in the main GP2 Series, he finished as runner-up after victories in Hockenheim, Monaco, Silverstone, Spa, and Abu Dhabi.
Finally, his move to Formula 1 was inevitable. He became the first Mexican to race in F1 since Héctor Rebaque in 1981, quickly earning a reputation as a fierce competitor.
Who will replace Sergio ‘Checo’ Pérez?
Liam Lawson will be the driver to replace the Mexican driver at the Red Bull team.
Who is Liam Lawson?
Liam Lawson was born on February 11, 2002, in Hastings, New Zealand, and began his career in karting. In 2019, he made the jump to the Eurocup Formula 3, achieving victories and podiums that accelerated his rise in motorsport.
His Formula 2 debut came in 2020 with the Hitech Grand Prix team, where he had a standout season with several wins, positioning himself as one of the young drivers with the most potential for a championship title. In 2022, he was named a reserve driver for AlphaTauri, Red Bull’s Formula 1 team. In 2023, he replaced Daniel Ricciardo in several races, debuting in the Netherlands Grand Prix and showcasing an impressive performance that allowed him to solidify his place as a full-time driver.
Lawson is considered one of the brightest prospects in Formula 1 due to his aggressive driving style combined with a technical approach that allowed him to go head-to-head with experienced drivers, such as Checo Pérez, who saw his seat at Red Bull Racing threatened by the good results of the young New Zealander.
Sergio ‘Checo’ Pérez’s Achievements at Red Bull
- 2021: Second place in the Constructors’ Championship and fourth place in the Drivers’ Championship
- 2022: Champion of the Constructors’ Championship and third place in the Drivers’ Championship
- 2023: Second place in the Drivers’ Championship and champion of the Constructors’ Championship
- 2024: Third place in the Constructors’ Championship and eighth place in the Drivers’ Championship
