Pérez’s father speaks out on Red Bull’s exit deal, but reveals deep wounds still linger from Force India’s shock 2020 betrayal.
Sergio Pérez’s departure from Red Bull at the end of 2024 may have made headlines, but for his family, it’s not a bitter ending. Despite having a contract that extended until the end of 2026, Pérez and the team parted ways—reportedly with a generous severance that helped smooth the exit.
His father, Antonio Pérez, insists there’s no bad blood between the two sides.
“No, I believe it was a mutual decision,” he said. “There was a contract in place, and the deadline was approaching for both parties. Filing a lawsuit wouldn’t have been the right move. I think it’s important to be grateful. They ended things on good terms, and Checo is thankful for that.”
But while Red Bull gets a pass, another former team still leaves a bad taste.
Antonio Pérez hasn’t forgotten how Force India—later Racing Point—replaced his son with Sebastian Vettel at the end of 2020, just two years after Checo helped save the team from financial collapse.
“I remember Checo stepping in when the team was bankrupt. He saved them,” Pérez Sr. recalled. “And how did they thank him? By betraying him. That’s when you go, ‘Wow.’”
That same year, Pérez won the Sakhir Grand Prix, one of the most emotional moments of his career. For his father, it was proof that his son had overcome countless setbacks to become the Checo we know today.
“So many things happened to Checo along the way. But in the end, he became the driver he is now.”
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The Pérez Family Isn’t Angry with Red Bull The Pérez Family Isn’t Angry with Red Bull
