Sergio Perez misplaced his seat with Crimson Bull on the finish of a disastrous 2024 for the Mexican however his two replacements, Liam Lawson and Yuki Tsunoda, have each didn’t problem Max Verstappen
Sergio Perez has confirmed why Max Verstappen held a grudge in opposition to him at Crimson Bull, who he claims remorse dropping him from their driver line-up. Perez, 35, has been out of Formulation 1 this season after the Milton Keynes-based outfit axed him in December.
The Mexican’s dire season noticed him end eighth within the Drivers’ Championship, scoring simply 152 factors. Workforce-mate Verstappen almost tripled that quantity in the identical automobile, successful his fourth successive world title.
Perez’s woes additionally noticed Crimson Bull give up their Constructors’ Championship to McLaren, prompting crew principal Christian Horner to make a change. That was regardless of Horner handing the six-time race winner a brand new two-year contract mid-season.
Crimson Bull promoted Liam Lawson from their junior crew, Racing Bulls, however the Kiwi lasted simply two race weekends, failing to stay as much as even probably the most modest expectations. Lawson was ruthlessly changed by former team-mate Yuki Tsunoda, who’s additionally struggled and stays method off Verstappen.
Perez was not often a reputable risk to Verstappen, though they’d their fair proportion of skirmishes. The pair’s most talked-about conflict got here on the Brazilian Grand Prix in 2022, as Perez let Verstappen – Crimson Bull’s No.1 driver – previous him for monitor place.
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When Verstappen did not handle to rise up the pecking order, the Dutchman was informed by his crew to present the place again. Verstappen refused, claiming over their crew radio that he had ‘his causes’, as Perez was left pissed off and bemoaned that it ‘confirmed what sort of particular person’ Verstappen was.
It turned out that Verstappen was holding onto a grudge from a lot earlier within the season, as Perez’s crash in qualifying for the Monaco Grand Prix ended the third and remaining session early, and left the long run four-time world champion unable to enhance on his time. Perez went on to win the race, with Verstappen third.
When requested on the Desde el Paddock podcast about his relationship with Verstappen, Perez replied: “That is one thing I am saving for my e-book – I will provide the full story there.”
The 35-year-old did contact on the Brazil incident, although, explaining: “Max had a difficulty with what occurred in Monaco. He by no means informed me instantly, he stored it to himself and introduced it up six or eight months later.
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“On the time, we talked about it and cleared every thing up. He had one thing on his thoughts from qualifying in Monaco. We talked about it on the subsequent race in Baku and it was all settled. However Max is like that; he holds issues in till he lastly lets them out, often on the monitor.”
Verstappen insists that he has a ‘nice relationship’ along with his ex-team-mate, saying final weekend: “We have been nice team-mates and so I’ve plenty of respect for him, he has plenty of respect for me, and that’s it from my facet. I’m wanting ahead to hopefully seeing him once more within the paddock quickly, and I nonetheless want to present him a helmet of mine.
“I promised him that as a result of he gave me one in all his with a really good message on it, and I promised him that hopefully, round Mexico, I can provide him one in all mine. So for me, no matter is written within the media, I understand how Checo is and now we have a terrific relationship.”
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As for the present state of Crimson Bull, Perez claimed whereas on the identical podcast: “Deep down, they’re very sorry (for sacking him) and I do know this from an excellent supply.”
Perez has instructed that he does not get sufficient credit score for his largely regular stint with Crimson Bull which started in 2021. He just lately appreciated an Instagram publish evaluating his worst type at Crimson Bull to Lawson and Tsunoda’s latest difficulties.
We might see Perez again on the grid subsequent season, as he is been linked with new crew Cadillac. Workforce principal Graeme Lowdon insists that no selections on their driver line-up have been made, though he is hinted that they will favour ‘expertise’.
“I believe there is a very sturdy argument to say {that a} new crew in its first 12 months of racing would profit massively from people who find themselves skilled,” Lowdon stated.
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