“Sergio Perez was the best”: 2-time F1 champion lacerates Red Bull for replacing Checo with “worse” drivers

Two-time Formula 1 champion Emerson Fittipaldi has given his opinion on Red Bull's decision to part ways with Sergio Perez at the end of the 2024 season, criticizing the Austrian outfit's choices to replace the driver. The former driver's comments come in reference to the team's decision to have Liam Lawson take up Perez's spot, only to be swapped with Yuki Tsunoda two races into the season.

Fittipaldi, a Brazilian former driver, also shared how Checo acted as a representation for people hailing from the Latin American region, while being misunderstood by the team he was driving for.

“Checo Perez was a great representative of us (Latin Americans) and he wasn't understood at Red Bull,” Fittipaldi said. “This year we're seeing the test with drivers who are with Max Verstappen, in my opinion, they're worse than Checo."

The F1 champion also brought up Sergio Perez's multiple successful outings on tough tracks when he drove with Red Bull.

"Perez won in Monaco, he won in Baku, very difficult city circuits, street circuits, and he's very fast. We're seeing the difficulties. Red Bull is changing drivers to see who gets close to Verstappen, but Checo was the best,” [via GP Blog]

During his time racing alongside Max Verstappen, Perez scored five wins, along with a total of 29 podium finishes. He also helped the team secure a second-place finish in the constructors' standings in his first year and was instrumental in the organization scoring back-to-back constructors' championship titles in 2022 and 2023.

With Red Bull, Sergio Perez also scored his highest-ever finish in the drivers' standings, coming in second place in 2022, and then following it up with a third-place finish in 2023.

"A very strong candidate": Fittipaldi gives his thoughts on Sergio Perez's future with Cadillac

Sergio Perez looks on from the drivers parade prior to the F1 Grand Prix of Las Vegas at Las Vegas Strip Circuit on November 23, 2024 - Source: Getty

Recently, it has been rumored that Sergio Perez might be a part of the Cadillac F1 team's driver lineup when they join the grid in the 2026 season. Now, the two-time champion has also expressed his beliefs that when the American company does come to race, Perez would be a solid candidate for the General Motors team to join the sport with.

“General Motors with the Cadillac brand, when it comes to Formula 1, it does so with a very serious program, very imperative, with many divisions, and surely Checo Perez is a very strong candidate.” [via GP Blog]

Reportedly, joining Sergio Perez on the Cadillac line-up could be Mick Schumacher, whose experience in Formula 1 has come from racing with another American team, Haas.

However, Cadillac may not be Perez's only suitor, with a few other teams being linked with bringing the Mexican driver back to the grid.