Helmut Marko confirms: “Red Bull will give Sergio Pérez millions in severance pay”. Sergio Perez will be paid millions of dollars to step down from his Red Bull seat.

After much back and forth, it was finally confirmed on December 18 that Sergio Pérez and Red Bull have agreed to part ways for the next Formula 1 championship, at least concerning the Mexican driver’s role as a main driver alongside Max Verstappen.

Pérez joined the team in the 2021 season and has since met various objectives, but 2024 marked his worst year with the squad following a sudden drop in performance despite an excellent start to the season.

This strong start, highlighted by four podiums in the first five races, earned Sergio Pérez a contract renewal with Red Bull, which became an obstacle when team leaders decided to replace the Guadalajara driver.

The 2023 vice-world champion consistently defended his intention to honor his agreement with Red Bull, making it clear he had no plans to leave voluntarily despite his lack of results.

Negotiations continued until the end of the season, with the official announcement coming ten days after Pérez competed in his last race with Red Bull at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.

There has been much speculation about the amount Red Bull would pay Sergio Pérez for his exit. Nico Rosberg suggested the figure was around $16 million, while Marko dismissed such claims as “nonsense.”

“There’s been a lot of speculation, including rumors about potential payment figures, which are completely absurd,” the former driver said.

However, in a recent interview with *Sport.de*, the Austrian confirmed that Red Bull would indeed pay the 34-year-old a significant amount, though he did not specify the total: “As part of the contracts, an agreement acceptable to both parties was reached,” he stated when asked about the cost to Red Bull of removing Pérez from his seat.

When questioned if the sum was in the range of several million dollars, Marko simply confirmed: “This is F1, yes,” he replied.

After reaching an agreement on Sergio Pérez’s exit, Red Bull announced Liam Lawson as his replacement, promoting the New Zealander from the RB to become Max Verstappen’s new teammate in Formula 1 starting in 2025.