Sergio Perez felt sidelined at Red Bull. Now, a return to Formula 1 is possible—but only if he’s truly motivated.
Perez was no longer feeling at ease at Red Bull, but a comeback to Formula 1 isn’t off the table.
That’s according to Jimmy Morales, head of the Escuderia Telmex Telcel sponsorship program — a key supporter of Perez throughout his career and backed by billionaire Carlos Slim.
Latin American brands connected to Telmex quietly disappeared from Red Bull’s livery after the team opted to replace Perez with Liam Lawson. Although recently, Claro branding has reappeared on the Audi-owned Sauber car.
Now, both Morales and Perez’s father, Antonio Perez Garibay, are hinting at the possibility of a return.
“Checo doesn’t need to race anymore — he’s already achieved what he set out to do in his career,” Morales said. “But if he comes back, it’ll be because he wants to. Because he’s still hungry for it.”
According to Morales, when Red Bull finally ended its partnership with Perez, it was already too late to find another seat.
“We kept negotiating, but the truth is, they let us go at the very last moment. By then, most teams had their lineups locked in. Some were open to talks, but breaking those contracts wasn’t realistic.”
Morales also confirmed that Perez’s discomfort at Red Bull had been growing behind the scenes.
“There are so many factors — internal politics, boardroom pressure, you name it. Whether fair or not, it became a tough environment, and Checo didn’t feel comfortable anymore.”
“He told me, ‘If they give me a car that only works for Max and I’m just fighting for scraps, what’s the point?’”
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Perez May Return—But Only on His Own Terms Perez May Return—But Only on His Own Terms
