The 2024 Formula 1 season has been one to forget for Sergio Perez. Once seen as a key part of Red Bull Racing’s dominance, the Mexican driver is now being deemed one of the reasons why the team failed to retain the Constructors’ title in 2024 despite leading the standings for more than half the season.
Perez’s inconsistent performances and inability to consistently score points put extra pressure on his teammate Max Verstappen to carry the team alone on his shoulders. This isn’t the first time Perez has been associated with a less-than-flattering statistic.
Back in 2023, he earned the unfortunate record of having the biggest points gap between himself and his title-winning teammate. That season, the Dutchman scored a staggering 575 points, which is more than double the points that the Mexican managed (285).
Now, another unwanted record has surfaced, and this time it connects Perez to a bit of F1 trivia. According to a post on the official Formula 1 subreddit, Perez is only the second driver this century to fail to secure a pole position in a season where his teammate won the World Drivers’ Championship.
Sergio Perez is only the second driver to not score a pole position in a season where their team mate wins the WDC this century (2000-2024)
byu/Green-Peaness informula1
The only other driver to share this dubious distinction is Rubens Barrichello, Michael Schumacher’s Ferrari teammate in 2001. Interestingly, this isn’t even the first time Perez has claimed this record.
The same situation occurred during the 2021 season when Verstappen won his first championship while Perez failed to grab a single pole. With the repeat in 2024, it raises serious questions about Perez’s contribution to Red Bull’s success.
Will Red Bull keep Perez around for 2025?
Perez’s struggles on Saturdays and his inconsistency on race days have fueled rumors about his future with Red Bull. Many believe his exit is inevitable, especially with young talent Liam Lawson being tipped to take on the second Red Bull seat next season.
⚠️ | Liam Lawson is reportedly set to be announced as Sergio Pérez’ replacement for 2025.
This is what the Red Bull structure would look like in 2025:
Red Bull: Max Verstappen & Liam Lawson.
VCARB: Yuki Tsunoda & Isack Hadjar.
Sergio Pérez: Red Bull ambassador.#F1… pic.twitter.com/1p3AwQixRi
— Fastest Pitstop (@FastestPitStop) December 7, 2024
However, Perez’s name has been listed on Red Bull’s entry for the 2025 season, which is a bit surprising considering his poor run of form. While his performances may not justify his seat, there are reasons why Red Bull might keep him.
Perez brings significant sponsorship money from Mexico and other markets, a factor that cannot be ignored in the business side of Formula 1. Additionally, Perez is contracted to Red Bull until the end of 2026, meaning an early exit would involve complex negotiations.
