Sergio Perez F1 News: Star set to LEAVE Red Bull as Christian Horner confirms massive decision

sergio perez, christian horner, red bull racing, chinese grand prix, 2024 — Photo: © IMAGO

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Perez set to LEAVE Red Bull as Horner confirms massive F1 decision

Sergio Perez's Red Bull future is once again in doubt

Sheona Mountford F1 Journalist

Motorsport journalist working in F1 since 2024.

Monday 2 December 2024 18:36 Updated: 12:43

Sergio Perez is set to leave Red Bull at the end of the season, reports suggest, with doubts over the Mexican's future emerging just hours after team chief Christian Horner confirmed a big decision was looming.

Perez has underperformed throughout the 2024 season and his poor form continued at the Qatar Grand Prix this past weekend.

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Whilst Perez started in the top ten for the Grand Prix, he was denied a points finish after a clutch failure and a spin saw him DNF from the race, whilst he was also pointless in Saturday's F1 Sprint.

Leaving Qatar, Perez now sits a staggering 277 points behind team-mate and 2024 drivers' champion Max Verstappen, which has hugely hampered the team's challenge in the constructors' championship this season.

Sergio Perez has endured a woeful series of races

Perez sits 8th in the drivers' standings

Will Sergio Perez race at Red Bull in 2025?

Despite this, speaking after the Qatar GP, Horner confirmed that the decision to continue with the team was in Perez’s hands, as he provided an update on Red Bull's 2025 driver lineup.

“Checo’s been a wonderful driver for us, you know certainly in ‘21, ‘22, ‘23, he contributed to Max’s championship obviously in ‘21, constructors’ championships in ‘22, '23, and most of all he’s a great guy and he’s not enjoying the situation that he’s in at the moment, he knows the pressures of this business," Horner explained to Sky Sports.

"We're going to give him all the support that we can until the chequered flag in Abu Dhabi next weekend.

"What he decides to do, that will be his decision at the end of the day.”

Reports suggest Sergio Perez is set to leave Red Bull

The Red Bull chief added: “I think that he's old enough and wise enough to come to his own conclusions, but there's still a race to go, let's get to the end of Abu Dhabi and then see where we are at."

Despite Horner's comments, and the fact that Perez is contracted to the team into next season, widespread reports are now suggesting that the Mexican is set to leave the Red Bull after the season finale in Abu Dhabi regardless of what he does on track.

The Race, for example, claim that it is now a matter of how the Mexican's exit is handled rather than whether or not he should be replaced, with ESPN also claiming that Red Bull are set to move on from the Mexican after Sunday's race.

In light of the above, GPFans contacted Red Bull.

Red Bull told GPFans they will not be providing an official update on Perez's future until after the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.

Red Bull Lewis Hamilton Christian Horner Sergio Perez Esteban Ocon Qatar Grand Prix