Christian Horner has insisted Red Bull tried “everything” to salvage Sergio Pérez‘s Formula 1 career with the team and added he believes the Mexican driver will benefit from some time out of the sport.
On Wednesday, Pérez and Red Bull confirmed their split, bringing an end to the partnership they started in 2021.
Red Bull started negotiating an exit with Pérez at the tail-end of the season.
Team boss Horner said the split was inevitable.
“It’s been a culmination of things,” Horner told ESPN. “Checo [Pérez] started the season so strongly, four podiums out of five races. It felt like he’d taken off where he left off last year.
“But then really from Monte Carlo, that race onwards, it has been a very tough year for him and we’ve tried everything with him and supporting him and basically he has come to his own conclusion that I think that now is the right time to step away from Formula 1 to take a bit of time out.”
Liam Lawson is expected to be named Max Verstappen’s teammate for 2025 in the coming days.
Pérez’s next career steps are unclear, but leaving the Red Bull programme should free up his racing opportunities around the world.
Horner said Pérez might benefit from some time away from F1, where the Mexican driver made his debut in 2012.
“I think the thing for Checo is to take a bit of time out, spend it with his family,” Horner said.
“He has been on the treadmill for a long time now and [he has to] work out whether he wants to keep going in Formula 1 or maybe look at other categories, maybe sports cars or something along those lines.
“But I think foremost and utmost, he needs to take some time out and see how much he misses driving a Grand Prix car, and then only he can decide what he wants for the future.”