Sergio Perez Out and Liam Lawson In With Red Bull for the 2025 Season

This week Red Bull F1 Team announced the conclusion of an era with Sergio Perez as their number 2 driver. Perez has been with the Red Bull side from 2021 to the end of the F1 season this year. However, after diminishing performance in 2024 which cost Red Bull the constructors champion Perez met his imminent fate. However, identifying his replacement was no straight forward feat. Red Bull is known for investing in their young talent and with a satellite team (RB) on the grid many pointed to Daniel Ricciardo or Yuki Tsunoda to take the seat when Perez was to exit. However, inconsistency in performance on the track plagued Ricciardo which eventually cost him his seat.

Liam Lawson Gets Red Bull Seat Over Tsunoda

Despite a very short stent in the car for 2024, former reserve driver and now Red Bull driver Liam Lawson wowed the Milton Keynes leadership with his race craft and situational decision making that ultimately allows him to vault ahead of Yuki Tsunoda on numerous occasions despite Yuki having more experience in Formula 1. Despite finishing behind Tsunoda in the drivers championship Red Bull have sent a clear message that Lawson is the best man for the job with their announcement today.

Lawson said, “To be announced as an Oracle Red Bull Racing Driver is a lifelong dream for me, this is something I’ve wanted and worked towards since I was eight years old. It’s been an incredible journey so far. I want to say a massive thank you to the whole team at VCARB for their support, the last six races have played a huge part in my preparation for this next step. I also want to thank, Christian, Helmut and the whole Red Bull family for believing in me and giving me this opportunity. I am super excited to work alongside Max and learn from a World Champion, I have no doubt I will learn from his expertise. I can’t wait to get going!”

Red Bull Team Principal and CEO Christian Horner Offered His Comments on the Decision

Horner said, “I’m delighted to announce that Liam Lawson will join the Team in 2025. Liam’s performances over the course of his two stints with Visa Cash App Racing Bulls have demonstrated that he’s not only capable of delivering strong results but that he’s also a real racer, not afraid to mix it with the best and come out on top. His arrival continues the Team’s long history of promoting from within the Red Bull Junior Programme and he follows in the footsteps of championship and race-winning drivers such as Sebastian Vettel and of course, Max Verstappen. There’s no doubt that racing alongside Max, a four-time champion and undoubtedly one of the greatest drivers ever seen in F1, is a daunting task, but I’m sure Liam can rise to that challenge and deliver some outstanding results for us next year.”

Despite not finishing atop the constructors championship in 2024 Red Bull dominated the field early in the season which allowed Max Verstappen to create a large enough lead to hold on to the drivers championship despite no longer having the fastest car on grid. Now for the first time Liam Lawson will receive the opportunity he has been waiting for for years. With Lawson’s promotion Red Bull look to rebuild around their traditional mantra of investing in young talent that has been invested in their organization.

Sergio Perez Says Farwell

Sergio Perez had the following word regarding his departure. “I’m incredibly grateful for the past four years with Oracle Red Bull Racing and for the opportunity to race with such an amazing Team. Driving for Red Bull has been an unforgettable experience and I’ll always cherish the successes we achieved together. We broke records, reached remarkable milestones, and I’ve had the privilege of meeting so many incredible people along the way.

A big thank you to every person in the Team from the management, engineers and mechanics, catering, hospitality, kitchen, marketing and communications, as well as everyone at Milton Keynes, I wish you all the best for the future. It has also been an honor to race alongside Max as a teammate all these years and to share in our success. A special thank you to the fans around the world, and especially to the Mexican fans for your unwavering support every day. We’ll meet again soon. And remember…Never give up.”

McLaren has dethroned the Red Bulls in 2024 with a win from Lando Norris in the 2024 Formula 1 season finale at Yas Marina for the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. McLaren rose like a phoenix in 2024 after a disappointing 2023 season that saw them finish outside of the big three in P4. The battle with Red Bull was over before the final round of the season. Given Sergio Perez’s lack of form for the majority of the 2024 season. It was a battle between Ferrari and McLaren heading into the final race of the season. McLaren came into the weekend with a 21 point advantage and Ferrari needed to make some magic happen in order to have a chance at the constructors title.

Ultimately Ferrari fell short by 14 points. McLaren’s Norris elated by the accomplishment said “It feels incredible, not for myself but for the whole team. The team have done an amazing job this year to come from where we were at the beginning. I’m so proud of everyone – it’s been a lovely journey, and to end the season like this is perfect, so just a congrats and big thank you to everyone in McLaren, everyone in papaya, everyone who supported us this year because it’s been a tough one. For us to win a constructors’ after 26 years is pretty special.”

Charles Leclerc Comments on Ferrari Shortcoming

Leclerc said, “Even though the race itself was incredible, we fell short of our main objective of winning the constructors’ title, so the disappointment is there today. 

The first lap was really strong, I managed to make up 11 positions going from P19 to P8. The whole first stint was good, but it was a bit tricky to overtake because there was a train of DRS ahead. We managed to make it through and preserved our tires well, so I am very happy with the way we manage our race. There was nothing we could have done better.

Speaking about Carlos, it has been incredible to share team with him for four seasons. We pushed each other to new heights and moved the team positively, always keeping respect for each other. That we are here today, missing our on the world title by 14 points, is also thanks to his contribution. I wish him all the best and look forward to seeing what he will do in the future.

Looking at next year, I hope that we can start the season off with a really strong car. This is probably where we missed our this year, coming back strong in the second half of the season which is where we made a big impact thanks to the incredible work of everyone back in our factory who created the upgrades which let us perform the way we have. This gives me confidence for the future and I really look forward to being back on track in 2025. A big thank you to the whole team that has made this season possible.”

While not an official concession, Leclerc is clearly disappointed with the team’s finish. next year he will line up along side Lewis Hamilton as Ferrari shifts its focus to their 2025 program.

Esteban Ocon has been removed from the Alpine side effective immediately. Ocon who did no finish the grand prix in Qatar has had a rocky season in 2024 with some triumphs and mostly disappointing finishes. Sunday was another one of those disappointing outcomes for Ocon after starting 20th and not finishing one lap. Ocon said, “Unfortunately it was a disappointing weekend and a short race for me today in Qatar. I had a good start to the race and had passed Franco [Colapinto]; I was on the left side of Nico [Hülkenberg] but I was at the wrong place at the wrong time. It got very narrow and unfortunately, I was already on the outside when the collision occurred and our race was then over. It was a race incident and not something that we wanted today.”

Ocon will be racing for Haas in 2025 and it has not yet been confirmed if he will race for the American side in the 2024 season finale or if those activities will be reserved for 2025 when the move is official. Jack Doohan son of legendary MotoGP rider Mick Doohan will race for Alpine in Ocon’s place for the season finale.

Despite receiving a one place grid penalty for impeding George Russell after securing pole position in qualifying. Max Verstappen found the pace that no one else could match on Sunday after he won. In response to the grid penalty Verstappen said, “I couldn’t believe that I got it. But in a way, I was also like, yeah, I’m not surprised anymore in the world that I live in. You’re not happy with it, but at one point also you have to just turn the page. But, yeah, it wasn’t very enjoyable to see that happen, because I think that’s the first time that in a slow lap someone has been penalized, while, actually, I just tried to be nice, so maybe I shouldn’t be nice.”

“But the thing is that, because at the end of the season, everything is more or less decided, for me especially, I didn’t want to screw anyone over to prepare their lap. And by doing that, being nice, basically you get a penalty. That’s what I tried to explain as well, but I just felt like I was talking to a brick wall, so there’s not much that was possible for whatever reason.”

Verstappen Spoke on a More Positive Note After the Grand Prix

Yeah, it was a very good race, said Verstappen. “Of course, already yesterday in qualifying, the car was a lot better. And, yeah, today, that first stint was very, very fast. Lando and I were just within 1.8 seconds of each other the whole time, pushing each other. And honestly, it was a lot of fun out there. This track has a lot of grip. And this year, the tires were really holding on. So that was honestly a lot of fun to be really pushing the tire. And yeah, we went really long in that first stint. After that, of course, there were a few Safety Car moments that you had to take care. But very happy. It’s been a while in the dry to be this competitive and very proud of everyone within the team to turn it around within a day. So they definitely also deserve this victory.

Norris Faced Difficult Punishment

Lando Norris was handed a 10 second stop/go penalty which dropped him to the back of the grid for failing to slow under a double waving yellow. Norris had gained 6 tenths on Verstappen in sector 1 where the flags were flown. “Honestly I don’t know what I’ve done wrong at the minute, said Norris. “Apparently I didn’t slow under the yellow. I’m not an idiot – if I knew there was a yellow I would have slowed down. I don’t know if I’ve missed it or just been dumb. But, yeah, the rule is if you don’t slow down under a yellow that’s the penalty, so it’s a fair penalty.”

With the driver’s championship decided already the battle at the front lies between Ferrari and McLaren as the season finale approaches in Abu Dhabi. McLaren currently holds a 21 point lead over the Ferrari side and can seal the constructors championship win by scoring a minimum of 24 points in the final race of the season.

Qatar Grand Prix Results

McLaren moved one step closer to securing the constructors championship today after gained a valuable points advantage on Ferrari and Mercedes. Lando Norris started the sprint race from pole and held it until the final 50 feet of the race where he gave the win to his teammate Oscar Piastri to assist in the points race. McLaren still finished 1-2 and took home maximum points in the sprint.

Pisatri said “It was about defense for the whole race to be honest. I had a good start and a good Turn 1 obviously, and then just didn’t quite have the pace. I think I killed the front a little bit early on and then I was struggling a bit for the rest of the Sprint. Some great teamwork, I think without that help it would have been a much more difficult Sprint. Nice to have a McLaren one-two.”

Unfortunately for Mercedes and Ferrari the points loss to McLaren only further extended McLarens lead in the constructors championship race. It was a frustrating race for George Russell. The McLarens kept him at bay and nothing seemed to word to get by the pair to improve his position.

Next up is the qualifying for the Qatar Grand Prix.

Qatar Sprint Race Results

Formula 1 welcomes a new team for 2026. General Motors will join the Formula 1 grid as an 11th team. The idea of adding an 11th team was met with mixed feedback from the teams already in the worlds premier racing series. However, those opinions don’t matter any longer.

The following is from General Motors…

As the pinnacle of motorsports, F1 demands boundary-pushing innovation and excellence. It’s an honor for General Motors and Cadillac to join the world’s premier racing series, and we’re committed to competing with passion and integrity to elevate the sport for race fans around the world,” said GM President Mark Reuss. “This is a global stage for us to demonstrate GM’s engineering expertise and technology leadership at an entirely new level.”

“We’re excited to partner with General Motors in bringing a dynamic presence to Formula 1,” said Dan Towriss, CEO of TWG Global’s motorsports businesses. “Together, we’re assembling a world-class team that will embody American innovation and deliver unforgettable moments to race fans around the world. We appreciate FIA and FOM’s support of our application and their recognition of the value we can bring to the championship.’’

Mario Andretti, the last American F1 Champion, will serve as a director on the team’s board. 

“My first love was Formula 1 and now – 70 years later – the F1 paddock is still my happy place. I’m absolutely thrilled with Cadillac, Formula 1, Mark Walter, and Dan Towriss,” said Andretti. “To still be involved at this stage of my life — I have to pinch myself to make sure I’m not dreaming.”

Since GM’s bid to join F1 was announced in January 2023, Cadillac Formula 1 has assembled an experienced team to work on aerodynamics, chassis and component development, software, and vehicle dynamics simulation. The team has operations in Fishers, Indiana; Charlotte, North Carolina; Warren, Michigan; and Silverstone, England.

GM has decades of racing success and a rich history of developing high-performance powertrains with over 3,000 wins and more than 100 driver and manufacturer motorsports championships.

In addition to the Cadillac F1 partnership with GM, TWG Global owns and operates Andretti Global, Wayne Taylor Racing, and Spire Motorsports.

Max Verstappen secured his 4th consecutive Formula One World Championship after finished P5 in the Las Vegas Grand Prix. George Russell won the race from pole position but the battle for the championship was behind between Lando Norris and Verstappen. Norris had one goal and that was to finish ahead of Verstappen to keep his championship hopes alive. However, Verstappen left nothing to chance after utilizing a superior tire management strategy that allowed the Red Bull to take advantage of valuable seconds gained by having fresher tires in the latter stages of the race.

Verstappen finished the race 5th place and received the emotional news over the team radio that he had been crowned a 4 time Formula 1 Champion. After the race Oracle Red Bull Racing Team Principal and CEO Christian Horner said, “Max has been in a league of his own this year. With eight Grand Prix wins—more than double anyone else—his consistency, teamwork, and sheer determination have been extraordinary. He’s handled the pressure with the poise of a true champion.”

Max Verstappen Added His Comments

Verstappen said “It feels incredible to win here today and I am so proud to win the Championship. It has been quite a year and I’m proud of how we handled everything as a Team. We started off the season really strong and then it became quite tough; we never wanted to give up and got the best result we could, barely made any mistakes and that is what you need to win a title. We stuck together as a Team and we pushed back really hard and came back stronger.

I’m super proud of everyone of what we achieved and also of myself with how we have worked together this season. Today I stayed calm and overtook drivers one by one. I tried to hang in there and do my own race and we pulled it off. Ultimately every Championship win is different, so that also makes it really special and it really means a lot to us. I am very proud to be part of this Team, especially as we are now celebrating our fourth World Title. It’s simply lovely.”

Verstappen has dominated the Formula 1 world by now winning his 4th consecutive championship in Formula 1.

After losing out in the Sprint race Max Verstappen got the job done on Sunday; winning the Sao Paolo Grand Prix. Verstappen controls his destiny in the championship race. At this point in the season, every race that Verstappen finishes ahead of Lando Norris is another missed opportunity for Norris to gain ground in the drivers championship fight. Despite winning the sprint race on Saturday which gained him a 10 point advantage. Norris ended up losing a net 8 points to Verstappen in the championship standings after the weekend in Brazil. Verstappen pulled away from the pack and built a 19 second lead while also displaying

The constructors championship is McLaren’s to lose. Red Bull driver Sergio Perez didn’t score any points in the grand prix rendering Red Bull’s hopes futile in making a late season charge for the championship. Ferrari was also unable to capitalize on the grid penalty against Oscar Piastri and a poor finish by Norris due to Carlos Sainz’ DNF in the grand prix.

5 Drivers did not complete the race. Which opened the door for the likes of Alpine and RB to both secure double points finishes. Alpine not only secure a double points finish but they put both of their drivers on the podium in P2 and P3. It was a disastrous day for Ferrari and McLaren’s fight for the top of the constructors championship.

Sao Paolo Grand Prix Results

Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris finished sprint qualifying 1-2 in Brazil this afternoon. With the championship fight coming down to the wire and two sprint races left in the season Norris will attempt to dethrone the reigning world champion max Verstappen. There are a total of 120 points up for grabs between now and the final checkered flag at Abu Dahbi later this season. The battle for the top spot is set to heat up.

Verstappen will start P4 for the sprint race after failing to break into the top three during qualifying. To make matters worse Verstappen will once again be the lone Red Bull on the second row as his teammate Sergio Perez finished P13 and will be of no assistance from behind in assist Verstappen to overtake the three cars ahead.

Words from McLaren

Oscar Piastri, Sprint Race Pole Sitter

“I’m really happy to be starting on Pole tomorrow, and a great result for the team to be starting 1-2. It was a tricker session as in SQ3 my first lap didn’t feel amazing, but I knew there were a couple of places I could improve, and I was able to put it all together for the final run.

“I suspect it’s going to be a very different kind of Sprint to last year because of the resurfacing. We’ll have to see what the weather does, but I’m starting from the best seat in the house, so let’s see what we can so.”

Lando Norris, P2

“A good session for us as a team to start the weekend in Brazil. We were struggling to get a feel of the car in practice, so the improvements made in today’s Sprint Qualifying are pleasing. The pace is easily there and to lock out the front row is a great result. We’ll work hard to maintain maximum points tomorrow.”

Elsewhere on the grid, Liam Lawson secured a P8 finish ahead of his teammate Yuki Tsunoda who will start the sprint in P18. Rookie Oliver Bearman also found himself finishing in the top 10

Starting Grid for the Sao Paulo Sprint

Carlos Sainz claimed his fourth Formula 1 win in Mexico this weekend from pole position. After a breif spat where Sainz lost the lead to championship leader Max Verstappen. It was superior race strategy that vaulted Sainz’s Ferrari to the top for the 4th time in his career.

An ecstatic Sainz said, “I’m incredibly happy! I’ve been chasing another win since Australia and getting it here in Mexico makes it even more special, as it almost feels like a second home to me with the incredible support of the Mexican fans! My family is also here this weekend so I can’t ask for more.We knew losing a position at the start could happen but regaining it quickly by diving down the inside into turn 1 was the key to the race. From there it was all about managing tyres and pace, a very smooth operation until the checkered flag!

This second win in a row is a further testament to the work the team has done in recent months, we are getting closer in the Constructors’ Championship and we’ll fight until the end as a team. Congrats to everyone! On to Brazil!”

Is This the End for Sergio Perez?

In what ahs been a painful second half of a season Red Bull find themselves scratching their heads on what has happened to their once dominant driver line up. With every race weekend that passes Red Bull continues to lose ground to McLaren who now lead the constructors championship by 54 points. To make matters worse Ferrari has also now leapfrogged Red Bull leading in second place by 25 points.

Sergio Perez has not performed in equal machinery to Max Verstappen. To make matters worse Perez also came in contact with Liam Lawson’s RB on Sunday which effectively sent Perez to the back of the grid finishing in P17. He said, “It was a very difficult one today, we were recovering well in the race, we had a really good start and although we unfortunately got the time penalty, I think we were making progress and were going to score good points.

Then I had the incident with Liam, he was the first hard tire and we were a lot faster, we targeted the inside, we had the corner and I wasn’t expecting him to be there, I had the position going into turn five, he was off the track, came back on and I wasn’t expecting him to carry on straight. He took the whole side of the car off, he damaged my whole sidepod and my floor. I don’t really get it, it was totally avoidable, he just went for the incident and it ruined both our races. I am very frustrated at how this weekend went, and I am very sorry for my Team and my people, it was simply the worse GP I have had at home.”

One thing is certain, Red Bull have no time left to sort this issue out if they want to defend their constructors title. Max Verstappen still holds a healthy lead in the drivers championship despite Perez’s lack of performance. Next up is the Sao Paolo Grand Prix in Brazil.

Mexico Grand Prix Results