As the 2024 season heads into its final race in Abu Dhabi, Red Bull has yet to make a clear decision on whether Sergio Perez will stay with the team for the 2025 season. While the Mexican officially remains under contract, rumors suggest that his time with the team might end sooner than he thinks.
Erik van Haren, a motorsport journalist from the Netherlands, has recently claimed that Perez’s time as Max Verstappen’s teammate is nearing its end. However, he also reported a surprising twist: Red Bull is not looking to dismiss Perez outright.
Instead, the team may offer financial compensation to end his contract early while keeping him on as a brand ambassador. “The team’s management will say goodbye to Sergio Pérez, and is in negotiations with the Mexican’s entourage about terminating or adjusting his contract,” Van Haren wrote in his report.
“It is certain – sources close to the team confirm – that Pérez will no longer drive in Formula 1 next year. But Red Bull does not want to fire him and simply send him away,” he added.
| Erik van Haren, conceituado jornalista do De Telegraaf, cravou que Sergio Pérez não será mais piloto da Red Bull em 2025.
Pérez será compensado financeiramente ou se tornará embaixador da Red Bull.
Ainda segundo van Haren, Liam Lawson é o favorito para assumir o lugar de… pic.twitter.com/VHpuZLszpj
— Talk GP (@talkgpbr) December 6, 2024
With regards to who might be the one to replace the Mexican driver, Van Haren reported Liam Lawson to be in the front of that race, something the 22-year-old has recently denied having any knowledge about.
Perez says he will continue to drive for Red Bull in 2025
Despite the rumors, Perez has maintained that he will still be in that second Red Bull seat next season. Speaking to the media in Abu Dhabi, the 34-year-old said that there was a reason why Red Bull gave him an extension earlier in the year and both parties intend to follow through with that.
Meanwhile, Lawson remains uncertain about his future. When asked about the possibility of securing the Red Bull seat in 2025, Lawson simply said that he had no idea. However, he is focused on proving to the team that he deserves to have a place in the sport.
View this post on Instagram
Yuki Tsunoda, another potential candidate, seems less hopeful about his chances of getting the promotion as he has said that it is entirely up to the team to make that decision. However, he has said many times in 2024 that he thinks he has done enough to prove that he deserves to be in the second Red Bull seat.
