Perez at Red Bull – the highs and lows

Following months of speculation, Red Bull has confirmed the exit of Sergio Perez ahead of the 2025 F1 season.

Perez endured a campaign of hardship this year, which has prompted the Milton Keynes-based squad to make the change.

However with the moments of difficulty, it is worth mentioning that Perez enjoyed some periods of success at the front-running team throughout his four years in Red Bull colours.

So let’s take a look back at Perez’s best and worst moments throughout his Red Bull career.

High – Five street circuit victories

Perez joined Red Bull as a one-time grand prix winner, having stood atop the podium for the first time just a couple of months before linking up with his new team.

During his first couple of seasons at Red Bull, he became known as something of a street circuit specialist.

He emerged victorious in 2021 at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix – albeit with a bit of luck involved as a puncture denied team-mate Max Verstappen and a Lewis Hamilton lock-up at a red flag restart gifted him the win.

Perez’s remaining four wins would come at street events – in 2022 he was victorious at Monaco and Singapore while 2023 saw victories in Saudi Arabia and Azerbaijan.

To this day, he sits as the only driver to win multiple times around the Baku City Circuit.

Low – Poor form at home

Perez has long been heavily supported in his home country of Mexico – when the grand prix returned to the calendar in 2015, the fans turned out in droves to support him.

While it must be mentioned there was jubilation when he scored podiums in 2021 and 2022, the performances at the succeeding two events could not have been more contrasting.

In 2023, he clashed with Charles Leclerc on the opening lap as he looked to make an impression on home soil.

He returned one year later with fresh determination to right his wrongs and kickstart a strong run of form as pressure mounted on his shoulders regarding his future with the team.

What followed was another poor showing as he exited qualifying in Q1, clashed with Liam Lawson in the race and crossed the finish line far outside the points.

High – The Minister of Defence

The 2021 season saw one of the greatest title fights in F1 history occur, with Perez’s team-mate Verstappen and Mercedes’ Hamilton the main protagonists.

Perez had little play in the fight and slipped into a support role for Verstappen as the season neared its conclusion.

The Mexican driver played a major role at the final round in Abu Dhabi when he held up Hamilton for some time after the Mercedes driver made a pit stop for fresh tyres.

It allowed Verstappen, in a net second place, to close the gap to Hamilton, with the Dutchman declaring over the team radio: “Checo is a legend”. 

Although the race would be neutralised later by a safety car which resulted in the famous and dramatic ending, Perez’s team play in the grand prix did not go unnoticed. It saw him gain much respect from his team at the time and generated the nickname The Minister of Defence.

Low – The Verstappen spat in 2022

Prior to his victory in Monaco in 2022, Perez crashed in the final moments of Q3 while in third place and ahead of Verstappen on the timesheet.

The situation sat idle for several months until the Sao Paulo Grand Prix when Verstappen refused to hand sixth place back to Perez at Interlagos to help the Mexican driver’s quest for second in the standings.

Verstappen voiced his frustration at the request: “I told you last time, don’t ask that again of me. Are we clear about that? I gave my reasons and I stand by it,” he said over team radio.

Various reports soon suggested that Verstappen believed Perez had deliberately crashed at Monaco to solidify his position on the starting grid ahead of his team-mate.

The true picture of the incident is still yet unknown – but the hostility between the two created an uncomfortable ending to Red Bull’s season when it claimed both F1 titles for the first time since 2013.

High – Aiding Red Bull’s perfect season

2023 was overall a disappointment for Perez. Red Bull possessed the most dominant car in F1 history, at least certainly through Verstappen’s hands as he won 19 out of the 22 races held.

And yet Perez was in a tight scrap for second in the standings, despite the RB19 having such an advantage over the field.

It was a difficult year for Perez, who started to struggle as the car went through various developments.

However, the final results will forever paint the picture that Perez was part of the most dominant F1 set-up in the sport’s history.

With a 95.45 per cent win rate, a constructors’ title and the first two positions in the drivers’ standings, Perez helped further cement Red Bull into the history books and will always be associated with one of – if not the most dominant period in F1 history.

Low – Qualifying concerns

A consistent theme throughout Perez’s term at Red Bull was his struggles over one lap.

The Mexican managed to notch three pole positions in the 90 events he entered for Red Bull, while in that same period, Verstappen scored 37.

Perez’s qualifying performances dwindled massively across the last two seasons, leaving Red Bull to fight one-handed on many occasions. In 2023 and 2024, Perez started 41.3 per cent of all races outside the top 10.

The failings were not as painful for the team in 2023 when it held such an advantage over the field.

However, matters got competitive this year and Perez’s lacklustre showings hurt Red Bull in the standings and caused it to slip to third place after back-to-back wins.

It was enough to ensure that this year marked Perez’s last venture with Red Bull – and perhaps F1 altogether.