Empathy for Perez after Red Bull exit: 'He's a likeable guy'
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- Jeroen Immink
For Sergio Pérez, it seems that his time in Formula 1 has come to an end – at least for now. The Mexican driver, who had been up to the past week Max Verstappen's teammate at Red Bull Racing, will not have a seat on the grid for the 2025 season. Viaplay commentator and racing driver Sebastiaan Bleekemolen believes that the decision to part ways with Pérez is justified. However, he acknowledges that it feels somewhat harsh, especially considering his likeable personality.
Sergio Pérez joined Red Bull as Max Verstappen’s teammate in 2021 after making the move from Racing Point. While he struggled to match Verstappen’s pace, Pérez made his mark by playing a crucial role in the dramatic 2021 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, holding off Lewis Hamilton to help Verstappen secure his first world championship.
In 2022 and 2023, Pérez finished third and second in the Drivers' Championship, contributing to Red Bull's back-to-back Constructors' titles. However, 2024 was a disappointing year for Pérez, as he finished the season in eighth place in the drivers' standings. As a result, Red Bull decided to replace him with Liam Lawson, who is moving up from the sister team, Visa Cash App RB.
Bleekemolen feels sorry for Perez:
In an exclusive interview with GPblog, Bleekemolen revealed that he even felt a bit sorry for Perez. "This was, of course, an ending. I can also imagine that this was no longer doable. He must have been in such a deep pit. All that noise around you, also, the jokes being made about you. He has had a tough year," Bleekemolen said.
"I also think he's a likeable guy, I wouldn't have wished him this. Of course, you're only as good as your teammate. And he just hasn't been a constant factor this year. He still wanted to be world champion at first, but he has only slipped further," Bleekemolen added.
Christian Horner recently said that Perez will still participate in some show runs for his former team, but the date of these are yet to be announced by the Red Bull team boss.
This article was written in collaboration with Toby Nixon
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