Helmut Marko admits Sergio Perez's exit cost Red Bull millions amid reports they took so long to sack him because of the money factor

Red Bull advisor Helmut Marko has revealed that it cost several million to cancel the deal it had with Sergio Perez to drive for the team in the 2025 Formula 1 season. Perez will not be on the grid this season amid the news last month that Red Bull had elected to drop him and promoted Liam Lawson to partner with Max Verstappen.

Perez may also have one eye on 2026, with the new Cadillac team already hinting that they will want an experienced F1 racer to sit alongside a young American star when they join the grid. With 281 grand prix starts, 36 podiums and six grand prix victories, Perez certainly fits the bill of being an experienced F1 driver.

Formula One season hasn't been kind to Red Bull, and the departure of Sergio Perez after four seasons marks a big change in the team. Max Verstappen, Perez's teammate, has been vocal about supporting Perez amid criticisms of his performance.

Had Dietrich Mateschitz still been at the Red Bull helm when the F1 2024 in-fighting broke out, he would have soon nipped it in the bud. That is the claim of Red Bull’s reigning four-time World Champion Max Verstappen,

Max Verstappen gets Red Bull boost. Verstappen has previously made it clear that he does not have ambitions to break record after record in the sport, but given he is contracted t

Red Bull were uncharacteristically undeveloped last year, failing to introduce significant solutions to the RB20. Thanks to McLaren’s unforced errors and moments of brilliance from Verstappen, they managed to clinch the drivers’ crown.