F1 – Sergio Perez is set to leave Red Bull at the end of the 2024 season, sources have told ESPN.
According to multiple sources, Red Bull have decided to move on from Perez after Sunday’s Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.
Team boss Christian Horner hinted at Perez’s impending exit after the Qatar Grand Prix on Sunday.
“I’m going to let Checo (Perez) come to his own conclusions; nobody’s forcing him one way or another,” Horner said when asked about the Mexican driver’s future. “It’s not a nice situation for him to obviously be in.”
Discussions over the next steps will take place among the driver, Horner and Red Bull racing adviser Helmut Marko on Monday, the day after the Formula 1 season finale in Abu Dhabi.
The 2025 contract extension Perez signed earlier this year means he cannot be sacked outright, but he can be moved into a wider ambassadorial role within the company.
Daniel Ricciardo had a similar option when dropped from junior team RB in September but decided to cut ties with the company instead.
RB’s Liam Lawson, who replaced Ricciardo at the U.S. Grand Prix, appears to be the favourite to step up from the junior team in Perez’s place, although the team’s driver situation has been difficult to read all year.
Although Williams rookie Franco Colapinto looked like a strong candidate to join the Red Bull stable of drivers a few weeks ago, sources say his performances over the past three races and his expensive crashes in Brazil and Las Vegas meant Red Bull opted against pursuing that option further.
When asked about Colapinto after Sunday’s Qatar Grand Prix, Horner said: “He, for sure, is a talent that’s looking to earn his permanent place in Formula 1. We have a great pool of talent within the Red Bull junior team, and I’m sure Franco will find his way onto the grid in the future.”
Sources have told ESPN that Red Bull junior Isack Hadjar, who could win the Formula 2 championship in Abu Dhabi, would step up to RB as Yuki Tsunoda’s teammate.
Hadjar is doing first practice for Red Bull in Abu Dhabi as well as the test that follows the race next week.
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