Sergio Perez warns Red Bull of driver pool exhaustion
Sergio Perez has disclosed the prophetic warning he delivered to Christian Horner during their final meeting after the Mexican driver was ousted from Red Bull at the conclusion of the 2024 campaign, reports BritPanorama.
During a conversation on the Cracks Podcast with Oso Trava, Perez revealed he cautioned Horner that the team’s approach to personnel changes risked exhausting their pool of available drivers.
This discussion arose as Perez was informed that his seat would be passed to Liam Lawson, a relatively inexperienced New Zealander promoted from the junior Racing Bulls squad. The Mexican driver recounted that he directly questioned Horner about contingency planning should Lawson’s performance falter.
“I asked him, ‘What are you going to do when it doesn’t work out with Liam?'” Perez explained. Horner’s response highlighted another option: “‘Well, there’s Yuki.'” When pressed further about the scenario if Yuki Tsunoda failed to deliver, Horner admitted the team’s options were limited.
“He said, ‘We don’t have many drivers,'” Perez continued. When I replied, ‘Well, you’re going to use them all,’ he acknowledged, ‘Yes, I know.'” This exchange suggested Horner was acutely aware of the precarious situation, a point that has since become clearer as events unfolded.
Lawson participated in only two races with the senior team before being reassigned to the Racing Bulls but retains that position for the upcoming season. Tsunoda, meanwhile, faced even harsher consequences, being demoted to a reserve role for 2025. Horner himself was dismissed from his role as team principal and is reportedly considering a return to the sport through Alpine.
Both Lawson and Tsunoda struggled to accumulate points on par with Perez’s records during his tenure. Remarkably, Perez has emerged from this turmoil in the strongest position; he will return to the Formula One grid with Cadillac for the 2026 season. Having taken time away from the sport to consider his future, he ultimately decided that pursuing a comeback was worthwhile.
Isack Hadjar has now been elevated to partner Max Verstappen at the senior Red Bull team for the upcoming campaign, marking a significant shift in the team dynamics.
Perez’s insights shed light on the intense pressures within Red Bull and the challenges of competing alongside Verstappen, noting that the atmosphere invariably became tense regardless of performance; being quicker inflamed rivalry, while being slower sparked scrutiny. In a sport where the balance of power constantly shifts, Perez’s experience serves as a vivid reminder of how quickly fortunes can change in Formula One.
