Sergio Perez is dropped by Red Bull for 2025 - what happens now and who will take his seat?

Formula 1’s official social media channels have announced that the team has parted ways with the Mexican driver, despite him having a contract for the upcoming 2025 season.

Perez, 34, joined Red Bull in 2021, helping Max Verstappen to seal his first drivers’ title that same year. But in the past 18 months, his form has dropped significantly, finishing eighth in the drivers’ standings this season while Verstappen claimed his fourth consecutive championship.

This season, the points gap between Verstappen and Perez was greater than the gap between every other driver and their teammate, combined. It’s a sad state of affairs for Perez, who looked at one point like he could even challenge the Dutchman for the top spot at Red Bull.

“I’m incredibly grateful for the past four years with Red Bull,” Perez said. “We broke records and reached remarkable milestones.”

Checo’s departure has been rumoured for some time, and after Abu Dhabi the Mexican finally revealed that he’d had “exit talks” with Red Bull’s bosses.

What happens next?

Unfortunately for Perez, the timing of his departure probably couldn’t come at a worse time. All the F1 seats for the 2025 season have been filled, aside from his, and assuming someone from Red Bull’s junior team will get promoted to the front-runners, it’s unlikely Checo will move in the opposite direction.

This means a season sat on the sidelines is inevitable. That doesn’t mean to say he won’t be racing - I can’t imagine that a call from IndyCar or the World Endurance Championship would be far away. But Perez is an F1 driver through and through, and let’s not forget he is still a talented racer.

There will be F1 seats up for grabs in 2026, and while Perez might not get a shot with a big team again, the likes of Alpine, Haas or even Williams could be a distinct possibility. It’s worth mentioning that besides his wealth of experience, Perez also brings in a hefty amount of sponsorship money thanks to his Mexican connections. It’s thought that money was even keeping him in the Red Bull seat when the going got tough.

Cadillac will also soon be joining the sport, and an experienced driver like Perez will be just what they need to hit the ground running.

Who will be the next Red Bull driver?

At the moment, there are two likely candidates to replace Sergio Perez - and both can stake a fierce claim to his former seat.

Both RB drivers, Yuki Tsunoda and Liam Lawson, are thought to be top of Red Bull boss Christian Horner’s shortlist; save for pinching someone like Charles Leclerc or Lando Norris from a rival, Tsunoda and Lawson are also his only options.

Tsunoda has been a loyal servant to the Red Bull family, and consistently beaten every teammate he’s been put up against. Pierre Gasly, Nyck de Vries and Daniel Riccardo have all been comprehensively beaten by the diminuative Japanese driver.

And yet, time and again it feels like Tsunoda’s achievements are overlooked by Red Bull’s executives - and it could even be the case once again. Liam Lawson joined RB late into the season, when Daniel Riccardo was dropped, and has immediately shown his pace.

He’s not been afraid to bump wheels with the best, taking on the likes of Perez and even Fernando Alonso without much regard for their veteran status. His raw speed is undeniable, but it’s his maturity that needs to be weighed up against that. Things like showing Perez the middle finger while overtaking him at the Mexico GP, or struggling on the opening lap in Sao Paulo, show that Lawson still has some way to go before he would be close to Verstappen’s level.

That being said, many sources in the paddock believe Lawson is Horner’s first choice - and an announcement could come as early as tomorrow (December 19).

With one of the RB drivers set to move up, that opens up a position in the junior team. That position will likely go to either Red Bull junior and F2 driver Isaac Hadjar, or Williams stand-in Franco Colapinto.