Sergio Perez grateful for Red Bull sacking

Former Red Bull driver Sergio Perez has admitted that he is grateful to the F1 team for letting him go at the end of the 2024 season.

Perez raced alongside four-time champion Max Verstappen at what was previously Christian Horner's squad between 2021 and 2024.

The Mexican racer proved himself to be a trustworthy number two alongside Red Bull's star driver, but when he struggled to pick up points last season, he was frequently tipped to be leaving the team.

Following the conclusion to the campaign where Verstappen took a fourth consecutive title victory and Perez finished eighth, Horner opted to axe him in favour of Racing Bulls driver Liam Lawson.

Heading into 2025, Perez was left without a seat of any kind in F1, taking a step away from the sport altogether.

Perez: Red Bull sacking 'best thing' to happen for F1 career

A lot has changed over the past 12 months however.

Horner is no longer Red Bull team principal, Lawson has been demoted back down to Racing Bulls, and Perez is set to return to the grid next season with Cadillac.

His reputation had taken a pretty big hit after failing to keep up with Verstappen at Red Bull in 2024, but when Lawson was drafted in as his team-mate, the Kiwi racer showed the paddock just how demanding that job is.

Perez's stock has risen as a result of the struggles Lawson and Verstappen's current team-mate Yuki Tsunoda have endured, and now he will get to enjoy a fresh start at new team Cadillac where his experiences will prove valuable.

It seems Perez is not ignorant to the fact that he may not have had another chance in the sport if Red Bull hadn't sacked him, and in an interview with the Italian edition of Motorsport.com, the 35-year-old appeared grateful to have left.

"What happened with Red Bull, in the end, I knew it was the best thing that could have happened to me," he admitted.

"And all the drivers who have arrived and those who will arrive will continue to have the same problems because it’s a very complex car to drive, where you have to constantly adapt to Verstappen’s style."

So is there any bad blood between Perez and the Dutchman? Far from it. In the same interview, the former Red Bull driver said: "I knew from day one that I had to be smart. I knew my role, I knew that this project had been developed for Verstappen.

“I think he will become the best driver in the history of the sport."

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