Sergio Perez shares exactly what he told Christian Horner in final chat before leaving Red Bull

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Sergio Perez is mere months from making his Formula 1 return just 12 months after being axed by Red Bull.

At the time, most believed that it marked the Mexican’s retirement, but he had other plans. The performance of the Milton Keynes-based outfit’s second drivers has revealed a lot in 2025.

It shows that Perez was not the issue, and if anything, was doing a very solid job in Red Bull’s second car to score points.

Ex-boss Christian Horner made the tough decision to replace him with Liam Lawson, but he lasted just two races. Looking back, the team were the big loser overall.

Perez’s Red Bull nightmare is behind him, and it appears as though he might’ve regained some confidence after taking a year away.

After a private test in an old Ferrari car, Perez’s lap times compared well to Charles Leclerc. Cadillac hiring an experienced duo should pay dividends in 2026.

READ MORE: Sergio Perez sees one ‘good’ aspect of F1 fans booing Lando Norris after he won in Mexico and Brazil

Sergio Perez told Christian Horner he felt ‘sorry’ for Red Bull’s next driver in final chat

Carlos Sainz says Perez was a ‘stand out’ in F1, and it’s part of the reason why another team has decided to take a gamble on his services.

With 281 starts under his belt, as well as time spent at a championship-winning outfit at the top of their game, his knowledge will be vital at Cadillac.

For a start-up operation, having someone who can bring what he knows to the team will accelerate their development and push them closer to the midfield much sooner than a rookie might have.

Perez’s Red Bull performances have ‘much more value’ now, and he should be able to drive for a few more seasons now that he’s back in the fold.

According to the Italian edition of Motorsport.com, he shared how he felt ‘sorry’ for his replacement during his final conversation with Horner before leaving the team.

“Thank you so much for everything. And I’m very sorry for anyone who comes here, because it will cost them a lot.”

READ MORE: How Sergio Perez is already using his time at Red Bull to help his new F1 team Cadillac

How did Sergio Perez fare during his final few races for Red Bull?

Looking back at the end of the 2024 season, Perez didn’t have too much luck as he bowed out from Red Bull.

In fact, he scored points once in his final five races, at the end of a campaign where he finished second in three of the first four events.

It was a season that had a lot in store for him, and he navigated it well. It would have been easy for him to give up, but he kept going.

Getting paid to sit on the sidelines in 2025 can’t have been too bad for him either, and now he will be fired up to start a new project – one that he can stamp his authority over from day one.