Sergio Perez had just one Formula 1 win and 10 podiums to his name before joining Red Bull in 2021. By the time he left, he’d racked up six Grand Prix victories and still sits inside the top 30 all-time for podium finishes, despite being out of the sport for a year.
Sergio Perez had just one Formula 1 win and 10 podiums to his name before joining Red Bull in 2021.
By the time he left, he’d racked up six Grand Prix victories and still sits inside the top 30 all-time for podium finishes, despite being out of the sport for a year.
Perez thought he might be able to challenge for the title early in 2022, but Verstappen quickly took control. With Red Bull’s support systems behind him, Verstappen was consistently ahead throughout their partnership.
“I think I became a problem when I was faster and when I was slower,” Perez said. “It’s funny because even when things were going well at Red Bull, I never felt fully at home with them.
Perez’s contract with Red Bull wasn’t set to expire until the end of this season. But he came under fire in October following reports that team principal Christian Horner warned him about his form.
Despite some signs of improvement later on, it wasn’t enough to secure his future with the team beyond 2024.
Juan Pablo Montoya: Red Bull Boosted Sergio Perez’s Profile
While Juan Pablo Montoya understands the frustration of Perez and his supporters, he also believes that being a secondary driver at Red Bull was still a better position than leading a struggling team like Alpine.
Montoya pointed out that Red Bull raised Perez’s profile significantly. The Mexican is set to return to the grid with Cadillac in 2026, carrying much more recognition than when he first joined the team.
Perez remains the only Verstappen teammate since Daniel Ricciardo to win a race, though all of those victories came while driving championship-winning cars.
“Checo has six wins, five of those six wins came with Red Bull,” Montoya told AS Colombia. “If you look at it as a Mexican Checo fan, you’re going to say, ‘Red Bull was very unfair.’
“As Checo says, he knew what he was getting into. Unfair or not, Red Bull gave him five wins. He can complain in the end because the car was unmanageable, but they gave him many very good things.
“When Checo was comfortable in the car, he did a very good job.”
Montoya added: “Are you going to do that [play second fiddle to Verstappen], or are you going to go to Alpine? You’d rather be number two at Red Bull or McLaren than number one at Alpine in 2025, or Haas.
“Obviously people are going to complain. But if you look at it from the outside, Red Bull have really given Checo a big status.”
Juan Pablo Montoya says Red Bull gave Sergio Perez his ‘status’
Juan Pablo Montoya can understand why Perez and some of his fans have ‘complained’. But he also pointed out that his situation was preferable to being the number one driver at a struggling team like Alpine.
Montoya says Red Bull elevated Perez, who returns to the grid with Cadillac for 2026, to ‘a big status’.
Of Verstappen’s five teammates since Daniel Ricciardo, only Perez has won a race, though it’s worth noting that he exclusively drove title-winning cars.
“Checo has six wins, five of those six wins came with Red Bull,” Montoya told AS Colombia. “If you look at it as a Mexican Checo fan, you’re going to say, ‘Red Bull was very unfair.’
“As Checo says, he knew what he was getting into. Unfair or not, Red Bull gave him five wins. He can complain in the end because the car was unmanageable, but they gave him many very good things.
“When Checo was comfortable in the car, he did a very good job.
He continued: “Are you going to do that [play second fiddle to Verstappen], or are you going to go to Alpine? You’d rather be number two at Red Bull or McLaren than number one at Alpine in 2025 or Haas.”
“Obviously people are going to complain. But if you look at it from the outside and compare it with other teams for next year and everything else… Red Bull really gave Checo a big status.”
Perez opens up about McLaren struggles despite rough end with Red Bull
Perez had time away from F1 before coming back in 2026. During that break, while working alongside Cadillac engineers, he tested Ferrari’s 2023 car and said it felt much more normal compared to what he’d experienced at Red Bull.
Perez struggled even more during his only season with McLaren in 2013. Despite early promise from his Sauber days, he failed to last beyond one year alongside Jenson Button.
Read More Like This:
Category: General Sports
