Verstappen thanks Perez after Red Bull exit
In the round-up: Max Verstappen thanked his departing team mate Sergio Perez after Red Bull confirmed he will not see out the final two years of his contract.
In brief
Verstappen thanks Perez
Perez joined Verstappen at Red Bull in 2021 and became his longest-serving team mate over the four years they spent together. He played a vital role in helping Verstappen clinch his first championship in the 2021 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.
“It’s been an absolute pleasure driving alongside you,” said Verstappen in a post on social media. “We’ve had some amazing moments together that I’ll always remember. Thank you, Checo!”
F2 and F3 on Madrid F1 support bill
Formula 2 and Formula 3 will support Formula 1’s races at the new Madrid IFEMA circuit from 2026 to 2035, the two series have announced.
Pourchaire and Maloney leave Sauber
Zane Maloney will leave Sauber’s driver academy one year after joining it from Red Bull’s, the team has confirmed. He now races in Formula E.
Theo Pourchaire, 2023 Formula 2 champion, has also left the scheme, and is now a test driver for Peugeot’s WEC programme.
Pin stays with Mercedes
Doriane Pin will return for another season in F1 Academy next year with Mercedes’ backing. She will drive for Prema, and also race for their team in the Formula Regional European Championship.
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On this day in motorsport
- Born on this day in 1923: Onofre Marimon, who took two podium finishes in the fifties but was killed in a crash at the Nurburgring Nordschleife in 1954
