F1 champion hands Perez scathing ‘take the money’ advice

Jacques Villeneuve has told Sergio Perez to “take the money and enjoy life” following his Red Bull axing.

The Mexican racer suffered a difficult 2024 season alongside Max Verstappen, only scoring 152 points, including just 48 in the final 18 grands prix.

Perez had signed a new two-year deal ahead of the Canadian Grand Prix, but this was ripped up by the team after the Abu Dhabi season-finale, where Perez retired on the first lap. 

He was only saved from an earlier F1 exit by Red Bull in time for the 2021 season when Sebastian Vettel took his spot at the Aston Martin team, with Perez going onto win five races for Red Bull. 

However, Villeneuve felt Perez’s “spark” has now been “extinguished” for good. 

“Sergio Perez should take the money and enjoy life,” he told Action Network.

“F1 is done. He’ll never get back. He was actually done and then Red Bull took him.

“And when Red Bull took him, that gave him a little spark, that gave him the hunger that made him for a couple of years go much better than he had been. 

“Now it’s extinguished.”