Sergio Perez F1 News: Red Bull star lands NEW drive as Christian Horner reveals contract regret

Sergio Perez, Checo Perez, Red Bull, Singapore, 2024 — Photo: © IMAGO

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Perez lands NEW drive as Red Bull reveal contract regret

Sergio Perez has been spotted carrying out a new drive

Sheona Mountford F1 Journalist

Motorsport journalist working in F1 since 2024.

Sunday 15 December 2024 22:59 Updated: 22:05

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Sergio Perez has landed a new drive with Red Bull after team boss Christian Horner revealed a regret regarding his contract.

The Mexican racer's place at the team has been placed under threat following a series of disappointing performances in 2024, with Red Bull bosses expected to meet to decide his F1 future during thr winter break.

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Despite his poor performances, Perez has retained faith that the team will honour his contract into next season and beyond, and only seemed to allow doubt over his future to creep in following his DNF result at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.

However, team principal Horner has since revealed that he regretted extending Perez’s contract early on in 2024 after his poor results only persisted throughout the season.

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Speaking to the media at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, Horner claimed that Red Bull’s decision to extend Perez’s deal did not work as they had intended.

"Well, obviously at the time, Sergio was performing extremely well," Horner told media during the Abu Dhabi GP weekend.

"I think he had four podiums in the first five races, and in order to settle his mind and extend that run of form for the rest of the season, we elected to go early, which obviously didn't work.”

Whilst Perez waits for Red Bull to make an official decision over his F1 future, he has revealed a new drive he acquired with the team in a social media post.

In a promotional video posted to Perez's personal Instagram page, the Mexican tested the brand new Ford Raptor T1+, a V8 powered off-road car built for the Dakar Rally.

The Raptor T1+ was made in collaboration with Red Bull, with Ford expected to join the F1 team to develop a next-gen power unit to supply from 2026 until at least 2030.

Red Bull are yet to confirm if Perez will remain with the team in time for this partnership, as they look to their junior drivers Liam Lawson and Yuki Tsunoda for their 2025 lineup instead.

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A post shared by Checo Pérez (@schecoperez)

Written by

Sheona Mountford - F1 Journalist

Sheona Mountford is a motorsport journalist specialising in F1. As a writer and contributor, she covers a wide range of motorsport series from F1 to F1 Academy, responsible for breaking news, live race coverage and in depth analysis of the sport and the culture around it.

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F1 Red Bull Christian Horner Sergio Perez Abu Dhabi Grand Prix