With his departure from Red Bull, Sergio Perez has “completely withdrawn from Formula 1” instead of taking a “sabbatical”.

That’s the claim of his father Antonio Pérez Garibay, who says that like when Perez was sacked by Racing Point just so Red Bull could grant him a reprieve from his F1 career, the Mexican racer is facing the end of his Formula One career. 1-Driver stands.

Sergio Perez has retired from Formula 1, says father

After a grueling 2024 F1 season – which saw Perez drop to eighth in the drivers’ standings after finishing 285 points behind teammate Max Verstappen, who secured a fourth consecutive title – Perez left the team and Liam Lawson was hired by Racing Bulls appointed as his replacement.

And while Red Bull team principal Christian Horner has described it as a “sabbatical” from Formula 1 for Perez, word comes from Perez’s father that the F1 door is probably closed forever.

“Today is total retirement; there is nothing, there is no plan B, there is no plan C; “Today, at this moment, the Formula 1 side is closing, as it was previously closed before arriving at Red Bull,” said Papa Perez in the interview N+ FORO.

“He was released by Racing Point and there was no Plan B; that was the end of Formula 1 at that point; Then the opportunity came for Red Bull.

“At the moment there is nothing else ahead of us and we have to live with it; learn it, enjoy it. Let him concentrate and enjoy his family.”

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Perez leaves Formula 1 – perhaps for good – with six Grand Prix victories, five of them as a Red Bull driver after his first win at the 2020 Sakhir Grand Prix with Racing Point.

And although he didn’t fulfill his World Championship dreams against Verstappen at Red Bull and couldn’t come close to matching the Dutchman’s pace for much of his tenure, we saw the best of Perez at Red Bull, says his father.

“Look how many wins Checo had with Red Bull; How many podiums has Checo achieved with Red Bull but not with all the other teams? “I think Checo’s best years were at Red Bull,” he claimed.

“With Red Bull he made history for the country; He finished second in Formula 1. He was one step away from winning the Mexican Grand Prix and the F1 World Championship.”

However, Perez is likely to get some seats at Red Bull in 2025.

“He will continue to be involved in the team,” confirmed Horner talkSPORT. “He’ll be doing a few show runs with us next year.”

Read more: Sergio Perez’s new role has been confirmed with the F1 2025 running schedule