Sergio Perez gives harsh review of Red Bull F1 stint: ‘Everything was a problem’

Former Crimson Bull Method 1 driver Sergio Perez says “all the things was an issue” when he was with the group, together with when he would beat Max Verstappen.

The 35-year-old signed for Crimson Bull for the 2021 season, having confronted an unsure future in the direction of the top of 2020 regardless of scoring a maiden victory in Bahrain.

He struggled to match team-mate Max Verstappen’s stage in 2021, however scored a victory for Crimson Bull in Azerbaijan on his solution to fourth within the standings.

He was a extra constant podium challenger in 2022, profitable twice and ending third within the championship, earlier than ending 2023 as runner-up to runaway champion Verstappen.

A lacklustre 2024 season, by which he scored simply 4 podiums, led to him dropping his drive with Crimson Bull.

At Crimson Bull, “all the things was an issue”

In an interview with the Cracked podcast, Perez revealed that all the things he did “was an issue” inside Crimson Bull, and that included when he could be sooner than team-mate Verstappen.

“The whole lot, just about all the things,” he replied when requested what went flawed throughout his time with the group.

“At Crimson Bull, all the things was an issue. If I used to be very quick, it was an issue.

“As a result of, in fact, it created a really tense surroundings at Crimson Bull.

“If I used to be sooner than Max, it was an issue. If I used to be slower than Max, it was an issue. So all the things was an issue.

“So I additionally realized loads, proper? That, effectively, the circumstances I’m in, as a substitute of complaining, I’ve to make the perfect of it and get probably the most out of it.”

Perez additionally famous that “everybody forgot” how powerful it was to be Verstappen’s team-mate when assessing his performances.

“We had the perfect group. Sadly, all the things fell aside. We had the group to dominate the game for the following 10 years, I feel.

“And sadly all of it ended, however I used to be in the perfect group, in a sophisticated group, proper?

“As a result of being Max’s team-mate at Crimson Bull is already very troublesome, however being Max’s team-mate at Crimson Bull is the perfect and the worst job in F1, by far.

“And effectively, everybody forgot, proper? After I arrived at Crimson Bull, I began getting outcomes, all the things. Everybody forgot how troublesome it was to be in that seat.

“And I used to be very conscious of what I used to be moving into – I wasn’t arriving at Crimson Bull to compete in opposition to probably the greatest.”

Perez was changed by Liam Lawson for the 2025 season, who contested simply two races for Crimson Bull earlier than being returned to Racing Bulls.

He was changed by Yuki Tsunoda, who misplaced his drive with Crimson Bull on the finish of a disappointing 2025 season.

Isack Hadjar will be a part of Verstappen at Crimson Bull in 2026, whereas Perez makes his F1 return with Cadillac.