Sergio Pérez opens up about his time at Red Bull. The Mexican driver served as Max Verstappen‘s teammate for four seasons. However, by the end of his Red Bull career, Pérez struggled with results and faded in comparison to the Dutch champion. This led to a painful split with the team. As he prepares for his comeback with Cadillac, Pérez reveals the tensions at his former employer.
Sergio Pérez joined Red Bull in 2021 as a replacement for Alex Albon. Initially, he found success alongside Max Verstappen, occasionally beating the Dutchman and even finishing second in the World Championship in 2023. However, things took a downturn in 2024, forcing him to part ways with Red Bull. Now, he reflects on this period with mixed feelings, stating that everything he did was constantly under scrutiny.
In the Spanish-language CRACKS podcast, Sergio Pérez shared his experience at Red Bull. “We had the best team,” he insisted. “Unfortunately, everything fell apart. I think we had the team to dominate the sport for the next ten years. But we not only had the best team, we also had the most complicated one. Being Max Verstappen’s teammate at Red Bull is both the best and the worst job in Formula 1.”
‘Everything Was a Problem’ – Pérez Opens Up About Red Bull Struggles
According to Sergio Pérez, his role at Red Bull was far more challenging than anyone realized. “Have we forgotten how I started delivering results right away when I joined Red Bull? Everyone seems to forget how tough it is to perform in that seat. But I was fully aware of what I was getting into,” he stated. The six-time race winner revealed that his own performances created tension within the team. When asked what he did wrong at Red Bull, he bluntly replied, “Everything, pretty much everything. At Red Bull, everything was a problem. Even when I was really fast, that was a problem.”
Pérez noted that it hardly mattered how he performed compared to Max Verstappen. “That created a very tense atmosphere within Red Bull,” he recalled. “If I was faster than Max, that was a problem. But if I was slower than Max, that was also a problem. So everything was a problem,” he emphasized again. However, the Mexican driver doesn’t look back solely with bitterness. “I learned a lot from it,” he concluded. “I realized that instead of complaining, I need to make the best of the circumstances I find myself in. I have to always get the most out of it.” In 2026, Pérez will have the chance to redeem himself; alongside Valtteri Bottas, he will make his comeback with the new Cadillac team.
