Max Verstappen breaks his silence on Red Bull firing Sergio Perez at the end of the 2024 F1 season

Max Verstappen opened up about Sergio Perez's exit from Red Bull and said it's a 'shame' his tenure had to end. The Dutchman added that they had a good run in the last four years and appreciated Perez's loyalty.

The Mexican driver parted ways with Red Bull Racing through mutual agreement on December 18, 2024. After an underwhelming season where he fell 285 points short of his teammate, Verstappen, Perez's future was discussed at a stakeholder's meeting. Despite having signed a two-year contract extension, the 34-year-old was shown the exit door.

A few days later, Red Bull formally announced that Liam Lawson would replace Perez in the 2025 F1 season. He drove six races for the Racing Bulls in 2024 and earned his promotion with raw pace and a promising skill set.

Meanwhile, Sergio Perez's exit drew mixed reactions from the fans. Max Verstappen, his former teammate, also addressed the same during his interview with Blick. He stated that they had had a good four years of partnership and Perez's loyalty impressed him the most.

"That's a shame [Perez's exit], because we were a good team for four years—and Sergio was always loyal. That's a quality I really appreciate," said Verstappen.

The Dutchman also shared his thoughts on his new partner, Liam Lawson, and said:

"If we can get the car back to the front, the name in the other cockpit won't matter."

Verstappen and Perez were teammates from 2021 to 2024. In this period, Red Bull won two constructors championships back to back. However, in the previous season, the Mexican driver faced a series of disappointing results and lagged 285 points behind his teammate.

His crashes also led to huge financial losses for the team and by the end of the season, his exit seemed inevitable.

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Max Verstappen reflects on his complicated championship victory in 2024

Max Verstappen (Image Source: Getty)

Max Verstappen was crowned a four-time world champion after he beat Lando Norris by a 63-point margin in the 2024 F1 season. After a good start to the season where he won four of the first five races, the Dutchman struggled to score points with his RB20.

Reflecting on his rollercoaster season in his interview with Blick, he said:

"Yes, because even with the good start, not everything was as easy as it seemed. After three wins, we knew we had a bigger problem. The bad thing was that we didn't understand what was going wrong."

He was further asked to weigh his hypothetical championship-winning odds with McLaren or Ferrari. He replied:

"With McLaren, I would answer this question with a clear yes, but with Ferrari, I'm not so sure."

Max Verstappen has successfully created a four-year title-winning streak and will be gunning for his fifth title in 2025.