According to ESPN, Sergio Pérez will leave Red Bull at the end of the 2024 season.

According to multiple sources, Red Bull decided to move on from Pérez after Sunday’s Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.

Team boss Christian Horner hinted at Pérez’s impending exit after the Qatar Grand Prix on Sunday.

“I will let Checo (Pérez) draw his own conclusions; nobody is forcing him one way or the other,” Horner said when asked about the Mexican driver’s future. “It’s obviously not a nice situation for him.”

Discussions about the next steps will take place between the driver, Horner and Red Bull racing consultant Helmut Marko on December 9th, the day after the Formula 1 season finale in Abu Dhabi.

The contract extension until 2025 that Pérez signed earlier this year means he cannot be fired immediately, but he can be given a broader ambassadorial role within the company.

Daniel Ricciardo had a similar option when he left junior team RB in September, but instead chose to cut ties with the company.

RB’s Liam Lawson, who replaced Ricciardo at the US Grand Prix, appears to be the favorite to take Pérez’s place from the junior team, although the team’s driver situation has been difficult to navigate all year.

Although Williams rookie Franco Colapinto looked like a strong candidate to join the Red Bull driving team a few weeks ago, sources say his performances in the last three races and his costly crashes in Brazil and Las Vegas have led to that Red Bull decided against pursuing this option.

When asked about Colapinto after the Qatar Grand Prix on Sunday, Horner said: “He is certainly a talent who wants to secure his permanent place in Formula 1. We have a great pool of talent within the Red Bull junior team, and I’m sure Franco will find his way into the starting lineup in the future.

Sources have told ESPN that Red Bull junior Isack Hadjar, who could win the Formula 2 championship in Abu Dhabi, would move to RB as Yuki Tsunoda’s teammate.

Hadjar completes the first training session for Red Bull in Abu Dhabi as well as the test that follows the race next week.

Pérez’s terrible form this year makes it seem increasingly likely that he will not drive for the team next season.

He hasn’t managed to finish in the top six since the Miami Grand Prix in May.

Most within Red Bull blame his poor form for the team’s placing in the constructors’ championship, which has fallen to third behind McLaren and Ferrari.

Teammate Max Verstappen won the drivers’ championship and is 80 points ahead of nearest rival Lando Norris, but the team is 59 points behind McLaren in the other title fight.

Pérez is an incredible 227 points behind Verstappen, the largest gap between a world champion and that driver’s teammate in a season under the current points system.

Should Pérez also cut ties with Red Bull, he may see a possible path back to Cadillac in 2026, given his wide popularity and marketing reach in North America. Formula 1 has an agreement in principle with General Motors to add an 11th team for this season form.