“They regret it”: Sergio Perez makes major Red Bull revelation after being dropped in 2025

Sergio Perez was sacked by Red Bull after the end of the 2024 season and was replaced by Liam Lawson at the Austrian giant to drive the RB21. However, this did not resolve the problem, and the team is having to contend with subpar performance from Yuki Tsunoda as of late, leading the team to regret axing the Mexican, as the 35-year-old revealed in an interview.

Perez joined Red Bull in 2021 and played a crucial role in helping Max Verstappen claim his maiden drivers' title. Though the Mexican remained a close ally to the Dutchman in both 2021 and 2022, his deficit to the 27-year-old grew by the mid-way point of the 2023 season.

With him having a poor end to the 2024 season, the Milton Keynes-based squad was all but forced to sack the 35-year-old as they dropped to third in the constructors' championship. However, his replacements, Liam Lawson and Yuki Tsunoda, have not fared any better than him.

This has suggested how the car has been too much to handle for many drivers, and that the 35-year-old was doing a fine job at driving Red Bull's F1 challengers. Sergio Perez then revealed how he got to know from a reliable source that the team is regretting sacking him with the subpar performances from Tsunoda and Lawson, as he told Dede el Paddock:

"I mean, at the end of the day, that’s how the sport is. They made certain decisions because of the immense pressure – pressure that they themselves helped create." “But I know, deep down, they regret it. And I know that from a very reliable source. Still, what can you do? You move on. It’s tough. I have very good friends there, and people might think I take pleasure in what happened – but no."

Despite ending his F1 stint at the 2024 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, Perez has remained a key talking point in the discussion for the 2026 grid.

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Sergio Perez is glancing at his options to make a return to the paddock in 2026

Sergio Perez at the 2024 F1 Grand Prix of Abu Dhabi - Source: Getty

Sergio Perez's name has often popped up around the seat at Cadillac. Though no confirmation has been made yet, the Mexican is an active player in the driver market.

Moreover, earlier in the season, the former Red Bull driver had revealed how he had been approached by several teams regarding his intentions for continuing his F1 career, as he told Formula 1:

"There are a few very interesting projects out there. I’ve been approached by a few teams since Abu Dhabi. Right now, the season has started so a few things will open up in the coming months." "Once I know all my options, I will make a decision. What is very clear to me is that I’m only coming back if the project makes sense, and it’s something I can enjoy."

On the other hand, the Mexican has not visited the F1 paddock since his last race entry in Abu Dhabi.

Edited by pranavsethii