Red Bull driver Max Verstappen expressed his gratitude towards teammate Sergio Perez after it was announced that the latter would be leaving the Austrian team after a disappointing 2024 campaign. The Mexican’s future with the Milton Keynes outfit has been one of the most talked about subjects of the recently concluded season, given his struggles in the RB20.
The 34-year-old joined the former world champions at the beginning of the 2021 season and has been influential in guiding them to a dominant position in the new aero regulations.
He played a key role in helping his teammate win his first driver’s championship against Lewis Hamilton in the 2021 season when he defended amazingly well on several occasions, including the season finale in Abu Dhabi.
However, Sergio Perez’s lackluster performances after the first five races in 2024 were one of the biggest reasons Red Bull failed to repeat its double in the championships, unlike the past two years.
On his social media platform, Instagram, Max Verstappen posted a series of pictures with Sergio Perez and paid tribute to the latter after his exit, saying:
“It’s been an absolute pleasure driving alongside you 🙏 We’ve had some amazing moments together that I’ll always remember. Thank you, Checo!”
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Sergio Perez confirms his departure from Red Bull for 2025
After months of speculation, Sergio Perez confirmed on his social media that he would be leaving Red Bull at the end of 2024. The six-time race winner’s future with the team was under huge scrutiny despite the then-world champions offering him a contract extension for the 2025 season.
On his X (formerly Twitter), Perez posted a heartfelt message for the team as he paid tribute to all the members whom he worked alongside for the past four years. He wrote:
“I’m incredibly grateful for the past four years with Oracle Red Bull Racing and for the opportunity to race with such an amazing team. Driving for Red Bull has been an unforgettable experience and I’ll always cherish the successes we achieved together. We broke records and reached remarkable milestones, and I’ve had the privilege of meeting so many incredible people along the way.
“A big thank you to every person in the team from the management, engineers and mechanics, catering, hospitality, kitchen, marketing, and communications, as well as everyone at Milton Keynes, I wish you all the best for the future. It has also been an honor to race alongside Max as a teammate all these years and to share in our success.”
https://x.com/SChecoPerez/status/1869428340425404705?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1869428340425404705%7Ctwgr%5E3577b8e6bce6a5246fd9af77b457c6aeea928d01%7Ctwcon%5Es1_c10&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.sportskeeda.com%2Ff1%2Fnews-max-verstappen-makes-feelings-known-sergio-perez-s-departure-red-bull
Sergio Perez scored five of his six wins with Red Bull, including a famous win in the Monaco Grand Prix in 2022, which would go down as one of his best given the conditions and the pressure from two Ferraris and Max Verstappen behind him.
