Sergio Perez shares how Yuki Tsunoda’s Red Bull struggles have changed his image in F1

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Sergio Perez will be absent from this weekend’s Mexico City Grand Prix for the first time since the event joined the calendar in 2015. Perez lost his place on the F1 grid for 2025 after his split with Red Bull.

Red Bull gave Perez a new contract in June last year, but they changed their minds at the end of the season and agreed a pay-off, turning to Liam Lawson instead.

Perez’s form had unravelled in the last two-thirds of the season, which saw him finish seventh in the standings while Max Verstappen won the drivers’ title. But Lawson only lasted two races, where he was largely at the back of the field.

Yuki Tsunoda took over at round three but has struggled to even score consistent points. Isack Hadjar could soon become the fourth driver to partner Verstappen in around a year.

Sergio Perez says his Red Bull performances now have ‘much more value’

Speaking ahead of what would have been his home race, Perez said Red Bull regretted axing him ‘without a doubt’, reiterating a claim he made earlier in the season.]

He felt he was made a scapegoat for a broader problem at Milton Keynes. Red Bull now recognise that their car is difficult to drive, even if an all-time great like Verstappen can tame it.

Perez finished in the top four in each of his first three seasons, including a P2 in 2023. He helped Red Bull win two constructors’ titles, but now they’ve slipped to fourth place.

• READ MORE: Five worst moments of Sergio Perez’s Formula 1 career as Red Bull confirm sacking

The 35-year-old says his results ‘have much more value’ with hindsight. They were similar to Tsunoda’s in the second half of last season, but the Japanese driver has shown no sign of competing for podiums even when the RB21 has been the fastest car on track.

Perez said, via TUDN: “I think that without a doubt but it was something that nobody knew, nobody understood, it was very easy to blame the driver for what was happening, it was the easy route and the easy escape route for the team.

“Without a doubt, when you look at the results they’ve had today, I think those years that I was successful at Red Bull have much more value.”

‘A team that believes in me’ – Sergio Perez on joining Cadillac

Perez will return to F1 next year with the brand-new Cadillac team. He partners fellow veteran Valtteri Bottas, who was once a rival during his Mercedes days.

While Cadillac are likely to start out at near the bottom of the pecking order, Perez is looking forward to racing for a team where he’ll feel more ‘valued’.

He said: “A very ambitious project, with convincing credentials, and an incredible brand, which comes together when it comes together, one doesn’t need to be chosen, it’s one of the fairest brands in the world, and an opportunity for me to do something new.

“A team that believes in me, a team that values ​​me, a team that listens to me, and a team where I can lead Cadillac, it’s a great team, a very cool team, and that’s what brought me to Cadillac.”

The Mexican GP signed a contract extension earlier this year, retaining its place on the calendar until at least 2028. Organisers will be thrilled about Perez’s return – there are few drivers, if any, who attract as much support from their home country.