Source:REUTERS/HAMAD I MOHAMMED
[Saba Sports News] Sergio Perez has spent four seasons with Red Bull, but his performance took a nosedive in the 2024 season, scoring only 152 points compared to teammate Max Verstappen’s 437 points. Red Bull ultimately missed out on the Constructors’ Championship, with Perez’s lackluster performance being a direct cause, leading to millions of dollars in lost bonuses for the team. Last June, Perez had signed a new contract, but he only managed to score a meager 8 points in the final eight races of the season. After the season, Red Bull decided to part ways with the Mexican driver. Former F1 driver Juan Pablo Montoya believes that Perez had a very “fatal” moment this season, specifically during the crash in Baku. Before the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, Perez had not reached the podium in 11 consecutive races. In the Baku race, he was chasing Oscar Piastri and Charles Leclerc, temporarily taking third place. In the penultimate lap, he briefly overtook Leclerc to claim second, but the Ferrari driver retaliated, causing Perez to make contact with Carlos Sainz at Turn 3, resulting in both crashing out of the race. Montoya thinks that if Perez had stood on the podium in Baku, the story would have been different, but since he did not, Red Bull is unwilling to take risks with him in the 2025 season.