Red Bull has revealed Sergio Perez will continue to represent the team in show runs in 2025, as remaining in Formula 1 with Racing Bulls was never an option for him.
Earlier this week Red Bull announced the expected development that Perez won’t be racing with the side next season, with Liam Lawson stepping up to take his place.
Lawson’s promotion to partner Max Verstappen opened up a void at Red Bull’s sister squad Racing Bulls, which F1 rookie Isack Hadjar will fill alongside Yuki Tsunoda.
Red Bull opted against proposing to Perez a potential reprieve at the Faenza-based squad, as it did when Pierre Gasly was dropped from the parent side back in 2019.
But Red Bull boss Christian Horner, who claimed that Perez chose to step aside, has admitted that the Mexican’s vast experience meant a demotion wasn’t discussed.
“I think at the stage that Checo is at in his career, that wouldn’t really have been an option for him,” Horner told Sky Sports F1.
“It was nothing that we really ever discussed, or we didn’t discuss or even talk about.
“So he’s come to this decision now, and obviously we support it fully.”
Perez to retain role in Red Bull organisation
However, Horner has disclosed that Perez has retained ties to Red Bull which will see him conduct various demonstration runs in previous F1 cars throughout 2025.
Asked whether Red Bull had sacked the six-time F1 race winner, Horner clarified to talkSPORT: “No, it’s a little different to that.
“Sergio has been with us for four years and, for the first three years, he played a huge role in the team and certainly that first Drivers’ World Championship.
“You’ve only got to think back to Abu Dhabi ’21, the role that he played for the team on that day; Constructors’ Champions in 2022/23; he was second in the Drivers’ Championship last year.
“He’s just had a really tough year this year and we sat down last week – we’d obviously been talking about it a little bit beforehand –
and decided that it was right for both of us, just to step back, for him to step out of the car, take a bit of time with his family, work out what he wants to do.
“He’s still going to be involved with the team. He will be doing a couple of show runs with us during next year.
“But it was right for him – because it wasn’t enjoyable for him either, getting all this scrutiny and pressure and expectation every weekend.”
READ MORE – Why Red Bull had to axe Sergio Perez and chose Liam Lawson over Yuki Tsunoda for F1 2025
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