Red Bull Racing's decision to part ways with Sergio Perez has come at a significant financial cost, Dr. Helmut Marko has admitted.
The team had to buy out Perez's contract for the 2025 and 2026 seasons, which Marko confirmed amounted to several million dollars.
"When you take into account the contract, the agreement was acceptable to both parties," Marko told sport.de.
When asked if the settlement was expensive, he said, "We are in Formula 1, so yes."
Marko acknowledged the Mexican driver's contributions but admitted that his struggles with the car ultimately forced the team's hand. "Something between the car and his driving style no longer fit," he explained.
Liam Lawson, 22, will step into the role alongside Max Verstappen in 2025. Marko explained that the New Zealander's mental resilience was a decisive factor. "With his mental strength, Lawson is the one who is most likely to be able to hold his own alongside Max," he said.
However, Marko was quick to temper expectations. "Nobody can beat Max at the moment anyway. Liam will have to accept that Verstappen is the best. He should aim to stay within three-tenths of Max in qualifying and the race. That should be enough to collect points for the constructors' championship."
Max's father, Jos Verstappen, emphasized the importance of setting realistic goals for the new Red Bull driver. "I wanted to be as fast as Michael (Schumacher), but I couldn't do it with my limited experience at the time," Jos told f1-insider.com. "That's why I made mistakes. I told Max never to make that mistake, and I give Lawson exactly this advice now.
"Liam has to think about doing his best and improving gradually."
Jos also noted that Lawson and Max share a similar driving style, which could benefit Red Bull. "Maybe together they will be able to improve the car," he said.
In his first comments since leaving Red Bull, Perez revealed his plans to focus on family life for the first part of 2025. "Within the next six months, I will make a decision about the next step in my career," the 34-year-old said. "It all happened very quickly. I had no intention of leaving the team."
While Perez has left the door open for a possible F1 return, he is taking a measured approach. "If a good and interesting project comes to me, I will certainly consider it, but everything will come in its time," he added.
Lawson's promotion to Red Bull Racing paves the way for Red Bull junior Isack Hadjar to join Racing Bulls in 2025. Marko described the Frenchman as "a very fast but also very impulsive driver," adding, "That could be interesting for the team."
Marko emphasized Red Bull's commitment to its junior driver program. "We have clearly refocused on promoting drivers from our own Red Bull junior team. I am sure that Hadjar will confirm this decision," he said.
