After the 2024 season, Sergio Perez was kicked out of Red Bull: Now the Mexican is taking a dig at his former team—and getting approval for it.
Sergio Perez is back: Not only will the Mexican be racing for newcomer Cadillac next year, but the long-time Red Bull driver is also taking a little dig at his former team ahead of his Formula 1 return.
Perez finished the 2024 season in eighth place overall, well behind his teammate Max Verstappen, and was heavily criticized for it. The problem: his successor, Yuki Tsunoda, who took over from Liam Lawson, did not fare any better this year, finishing only 17th in the drivers’ championship.
For last year’s Red Bull driver, this is apparently reason enough to share a humorous “Avengers” meme on his X account (formerly Twitter): “Maybe I treated you too harshly,” it says. The Mexican comments with a terse “Maybe,” once again making his opinion about the dismissal clear.
The post, which has been viewed more than ten million times, has earned Perez almost 300,000 likes and nearly 4,000 comments, most of them positive and supportive. “The first year without Checo, the first year without a title for Max. Fortunately, everyone is realizing what the second Red Bull driver is going through,” writes one fan.
“Somehow, Yuki was even worse than your worst season. Impressive,” adds another user. The Japanese driver, who will be replaced by Isack Hadjar at Red Bull in 2026, is also under criticism for his weak defense against Lando Norris at the season finale in Abu Dhabi.
Perez gets backing from his fans
Perez defended himself much better against Lewis Hamilton in the 2021 finale, helping his teammate to his first world championship success. “You’re the best defense minister,” smiles one fan. “It’s a shame you’re leaving, but it’s great to have you back!”
This isn’t the only encouragement for the Mexican: “Perez’s problems were exaggerated because of certain narratives and because Max was his teammate. The only question is whether Red Bull will be ready to change its culture in car development in 2026. So far, everything has been heavily tailored to Max, and when he’s gone, things could go backwards.”
Another user admits to Perez: “I was one of those who thought Red Bull should have let you go… but in hindsight, of course, that didn’t help at all. It’s not just about Yuki’s defensive weakness, but also his results. You wouldn’t have done any worse than him.“
”I’m looking forward to Checo’s revenge tour next year,“ writes one Perez fan, while another user adds: ”Checo and Bottas will be a strong duo next year. Can’t wait to see the show.” In 2026, the Mexican will have a chance to prove himself at Cadillac…
