Helmut Marko reveals Sergio Perez conversation after Red Bull fired Liam Lawson
Red Bull's motorsport advisor Helmut Marko has revealed that he talked to Sergio Perez after the team sacked him last year in December. The duo apparently had a conversation about tequila since the Mexican driver is a brand ambassador of the popular tequila brand, Patron.
Perez, after four years of racing with Red Bull, was sacked following the conclusion of the 2024 season. He finished 280 points behind his teammate Max Verstappen in the championship race, and to add to the misery, Red Bull also finished third in the constructors championship.
Hence, the Milton Keynes-based squad nullified his two-year extension contract to replace him with Liam Lawson instead. However, as fate would have it, Lawson's stint in the blue colors only lasted two races. After disastrous starts in Australia and China this year, Lawson has been replaced by Yuki Tsunoda for the upcoming Japanese Grand Prix.
Meanwhile, Red Bull senior advisor Helmut Marko revealed that he spoke to Sergio Perez after the whole driver swap fiasco. Talking to Motorsport.com, he said:
“Yes, we talked about tequila. I had a drink for him afterward [the 2024 firing], and he had a drink for me. He's involved in a tequila business."
Marko also added that Perez has promised to gift him a tequila bottle during the Mexican Grand Prix this year.
While the duo seem to be on good terms right now, Helmut Marko was extremely critical of Sergio Perez's performance last year. He landed in trouble when he referred to Sergio as 'South American' and blamed his ethnicity for his performance dip.
However, after a massive uproar and backlash, Marko apologized for his comments, and the FIA also gave him a warning. Red Bull CEO Oliver Mintzlaff reportedly intervened and asked Helmut to apologize. Team principal Christian Horner also distanced himself from the senior advisor's comments and backed his driver.
Sergio Perez linked to Cadillac in a potential F1 return
After being sacked by Red Bull last year, Sergio Perez has taken a sabbatical from F1. However, he is being actively linked to Cadillac, which is set to debut in F1 in 2026. Moreover, former F1 champion Mario Andretti, who also serves as a board director in Cadillac, has dropped a major hint to fuel the speculation.
Talking to the ESPN Racing podcast, Andretti was asked if he considers Perez an option for Cadillac. To this, he replied:
“It’s an option. It could be an option. Of course. All I can say is that Liam Lawson is making Checo look very, very good."
However, Andretti refused to divulge more details as his team intends to keep their driver lineup under wraps. Cadillac has been confirmed as the 11th new team after its bid was accepted by F1, FIA, FOM, and the rest of the 10 teams on the grid.