Sergio Pérez reveals that he felt sympathy for Liam Lawson when his departure from Red Bull was made official last December. The Mexican, who raced alongside Max Verstappen for four seasons at the Austrian team, knows how challenging it is to compete against the four-time world champion. ‘Even Hamilton and Leclerc would struggle,’ says Pérez.
Sergio Pérez was Max Verstappen’s teammate for four seasons between 2021 and 2024. The Mexican driver, particularly in his last year at Red Bull, went through a slump in form, leading to Pérez’s dismissal in December. He has since found a new Formula 1 team and will make his return to motorsport with the American team Cadillac in 2026.
Pérez’s time at Cadillac will be very different from his stint as a Red Bull driver, where he had to compete against teammate Max Verstappen every weekend. Therefore, it does not surprise the Mexican that the drivers who followed him, Liam Lawson and Yuki Tsunoda, also fall short against the world champion. “That’s why I don’t like to criticize them, because I’ve been in their position,” Pérez says during the Mexican GP weekend. “I know exactly what they’re going through.”
The Mexican reveals that he therefore felt sympathy for Lawson last December. “The moment I signed my departure from Red Bull, when we had reached an agreement, I already felt sorry for the poor guy who would come next. Because I managed to survive,” Pérez continues. “Of course, it’s a very tough spot. Sitting next to Max is very difficult. However, sitting next to Max at Red Bull is a level of difficulty that people don’t understand.”
Hamilton and Leclerc
According to the former Red Bull driver, even drivers like Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc would struggle as teammates of the four-time world champion. “There are so many things I could tell you. But it’s just a very tough job for a driver. There’s no driver who can make it there. It doesn’t matter if you put (Lewis) Hamilton or (Charles) Leclerc or anyone else there, he will have a very hard time.”
