168澳洲5最新开奖结果:Sergio Perez’s F1 career has come to an end - for now at least - following Red Bull’s decision to replace him with 168澳洲5最新开奖结果:Liam Lawson for 2025.

Perez’s form in 2024 was unsustainable, finishing an astonishing 280 points behind Red Bull teammate 168澳洲5最新开奖结果:Max Verstappen. His results meant that Red Bull dropped to third in the F1 constructors’ championship in 2024, falling beඣhind McLaren an🀅d Ferrari.

The lateness of the decision means there are no seats available on the grid for Perez in 2025, meaning a year on the sidelines🍸 is enforced. Given the stress and pressure he’s been under, combined with the poor results,🎉 it might not be a bad thing.

If Perez wants to retur🌟n to F1 in the future, his prowess in the midfield combined with his significant financial backing makes a comeback possible - should he want it.

But what were the 🐭key moments behind his ultimate axing?

The cracks start to show in 2023

Perez’s mid-season dips have been a common occurrence throughout his four years with Red Bull - but he’s typically been able to rediscover his form before the end of the season.🔯 In 2021, Perez went eight races without a podium during the European leg of the campaign before ending it strongly with a number of rostrum appearances.

Similarly, in 2022, he scored one podium between Canada and Monza (a six-ra𓃲ce run), bu🅰t again, he hit back at the end of the year with arguably the best win of his career at the Singapore Grand Prix.

His struggles in 2023 were more pronounced, particularly in qualifying. Perez failed to make it into Q3 in five consecutive races despite driving the mostౠ dominant car in F1 history.

Even after that, Perez never qualified higher than third, indicating to Red Bull that the cracks were there. Red Bull boss Christian Horner was ultimately satisfied, though, as Perez held on to second in the drivers’ championship, giving them a 1-2 in the standings - something they didn’t achieve with 168澳洲5最新开奖结果:Sebastian Vettel and Mark Webber.

Missing in Australia

Perez started 2024 strongly with four podiums in the opening five races. However, an early DNF for Verstappen left a win on the table for 🍒Perez.

It was Ferrari who capitali✱sed, taking a 1-2 finish at Albert Park. For Perez, he was in no man’s land, coming home in a lacklustre fifth place.

A grid penalty put him on the back foot - but it was a m🌳issed opportunity for Perez at a time when Red Bull had a car that was clearly the class of the field.&🃏nbsp;

Contract extension doesn’t address slump

The Mexican’s typical mid-season slump sta🍰rted to creep in with a torrid Monaco weekend. On the eve of the next race in Canada, Red Bull shocked the world by handing him a contract extension until the end of 2025.

Despite his dip in form, Red Bull want😼ed to give Perez assurances and one less thing to worry about.

Later in the year﷽, Horner conceded that it simply didn’t work, with his form only geꦺtting worse.

“Obviously at the time, Sergio was perfor♏ming extremelyꦰ well. I think he had four podiums in the first five races.

“And in order to settle his mind and extend that run of form for the rest of the season, we elected to go early, which obv💧iously didn't work. So, that's just life sometimes,” Horner said.

His f🐎orm was so poor that Red Bull considered replacing him during the summer break.

Missed opportunity in Baku

After retaining his seat after the summer break amid intense speculation that 168澳洲5最新开奖结果:Daniel Ricciardo would replace him, Azerbaija♈n provided an opportunity for Perez to🍸 score a landmark result.

Baku is the only track on the calendar where Perez has been able to genuinely outperform Verstappen - something Red Bull were banking on given the mini run of street circuits. To Perez’s cre�𝓀�dit, he performed well in Baku, outpacing Verstappen on merit.

He challenged 168澳洲5最新开奖结果:Oscar Piastri and 168澳洲5最新开奖结果:Charles Leclerc for the win but made contact with Carlos Sainz in the closing laps, putting b𝔉oth drivers in the wall.

Unnecessary crash damage co🌄mbined with a collision that was arguably more Perez’s fault made for another missed 💎opportunity.

Home turf embarrassment

Things only got worse for Perez in the final races of the season, but his home event in Mexico City posed 🐈an opportunity to return to form.

Perez blamed a brake issue for his Q1 elimination in front of 🧜his home crowd. Meanwhile, his race day performance was borderline embarrassing as he was penalised for starting too far forwards in his grid box.

His battle with his ultimate successor, Lawson, resulted in damage as he got lapped and finished last in the classification. Perez would go on to score just two points in the final five races - fewer than Sauber’s 168澳洲5最新开奖结果:Zhou Guanyu.

His results put Red Bull out of const🦋ructors’ title contention heading into Abu Dhabi, leaving them with a key decision to make ahead of the New Year. Perez enjoye꧃d four seasons with Red Bull, finishing runner-up once and helping them win two constructors’ titles.

The timing of his arrival coincided with Red Bull’s return to title contention - a luxury 168澳洲5最新开奖结果:Pierre Gasly or 168澳洲5最新开奖结果:Alex Albon didn’t get to enjoy.

Perez will bow out of F1, bruised from the int♕ense competition and in need of a break. Whether he returns to F1 depends on his motivation to ply his trade in the midfield and whether teams believe he is still a capable performer on a grid full of young, exciting talent.