After rumors spread out that Red Bull might confirm Sergio Perez for 2025, the team confirmed that the Mexican would drive for them for at least two more seasons, too.
Perez has been the perfect teammate for Max Verstappen so far, something that Red Bull was searching for quite some time. Even though he has weekends where he struggles a lot compared to his teammate, in 2023 the Mexican finished behind him in the standings, in P2. In 2022, Perez finished third, but only three points away from Charles Leclerc, who was second.
Verstappen is clearly the driver Red Bull is betting on, but having a fast teammate who can help him achieve great results is also key for the Milton Keynes outfit. Perez has been doing exactly that, while also showing some sporadic amazing performances, like in Jeddah 2023 or Monaco 2023.
In the last couple of races, the Mexican has been struggling more, and with McLaren and Ferrari being more competitive, he is now required to take a step further and get even closer to Verstappen.
Christian Horner admitted after Imola that he has no doubt Perez will perform as well as he did at the beginning of the season. However, at the Monaco GP, Perez didn’t shine, but he will have other occasions to prove the doubters wrong, the first one being in less than a week through the streets of Montreal.
Regarding the two-year extension, Horner said: “Now is an important time to confirm our line-up for 2025, and we are very pleased to continue working together with Checo.
“Continuity and stability are important for the Team and both Checo and Max are a successful and robust partnership, securing our first ever one-two finish for the Team in the Championship last year.
“Checo has had a strong start to 2024 with second places in Bahrain, Saudi Arabia and Japan and then his podium in China. The past few races have been tough, there is convergence on the grid, but we are confident in Checo and look forward to his return to proven form and performance, that we so often see.
“Last year was a unicorn season and we will need to work hard to retain our titles, but we are assured in our lineup and with the Team as a whole, which is imperative in what is shaping up to be a close-fought Championship this year.”