Does Red Bull's Lawson debacle vindicate Perez?

You could argue Sergio Perez has done his reputation a lot of good by not being on the Formula 1 grid this year.

The Mexican was often criticised during his four-year spell at Red Bull as Max Verstappen‘s team-mate, but never as harshly as he was last year, when he endured his worst season with the Milton Keynes-based team.

After five wins and 25 podiums in his first three seasons with Red Bull, Perez managed four top-three finishes in 2024, a year in which Verstappen went on to secure his fourth F1 title with nine victories. Perez finished the championship down in eighth place, an almost incredible 285 points behind his team-mate.

Having secured a new two-year contract earlier in the year, the pressure towards the end of the season proved too much for both driver and team, Red Bull deciding to part company with Perez before the start of 2025.

As justified as the criticism of his performances was during the past season, the debacle following the promotion of Liam Lawson to the coveted Red Bull seat has helped put Perez’s struggles in perspective, and he feels somewhat vindicated by it.

“Especially last year, I didn’t get to show what I’m able to do as a driver,” Perez told the official Formula 1 website in an interview. “Now, all of a sudden, people realise how difficult the car is to drive.

“I spent so long in Red Bull that everyone forgot how difficult the car is to drive, so that was tricky,” the Mexican added.

Few argue that Lawson has been given a fair shot to make an impression at Red Bull: two races, one of them at a circuit he had never driven before, was not enough for the Kiwi to even try to make a recovery before he was demoted to Racing Bull, where he made his grand prix debut last year.

But Lawson’s problems – he qualified last for his two races with Red Bull – also highlight the challenge that Perez faced racing alongside Verstappen.

“When I joined Red Bull, there had been great drivers who had struggled – Alex [Albon], Pierre [Gasly], they are fantastic drivers and they struggled,” Perez added.

Both Gasly and Albon lost their Red Bull drives in similar fashion to Lawson, the former after 12 races and the latter after a bit more than a season. In that sense, Perez lasting a full four years should be seen as a success.

“Within a couple of races, they forget what you have done. People realise that my position was not the easiest one in F1 – and I’ve done extremely well overall,” he said.

Perez announced after his Red Bull split that he would take at least six months to figure out what his next career move will be, and the Mexican’s name has already been linked to Cadillac’s F1 entry next year.

The 35-year-old says he has already been discussing his future with some teams, but claims he will only return to F1 with a creditable project.

“We are talking to a few parties out there,” he said. “Once I know all my options, I will make a decision. What is very clear to me is that I’m only coming back if the project makes sense, and it’s something I can enjoy.

“I’ve spent a long time in F1 already, I’ve done most of it. Once you step back, you realise how much you give up in life to be in the sport. So, to be in F1 fully committed, I need the motivation.

“I feel like that if there is a project that makes sense to me – and also with the regulations changing for 2026 – I feel like taking a year out won’t have any impact if I were to come back.”