"It’s not a bribe": Red Bull employee pushes back against Sergio Perez facing criticism for gifting the Milton Keynes employees his tequila
Red Bull employee Daz Sindle defended Sergio Perez by clarifying that the tequila bottle gifted by the Mexican driver to his team members was not a bribe as some fan comments suggested. He added that Checo previously gifted them a similar bottle as a courtesy to celebrate the team's hard work throughout the season.
With Perez's future with Red Bull hanging in the balance, fan theories have scaled a new peak. Earlier this week, rumors flared that the Mexican driver delivered 2000 bottles of Patron Tequila, a company that sponsors him, to his team members in Milton Keynes.
While some fans guessed it as a parting gift, a few also leveled bribery accusations. However, after Perez faced criticism for this from a section of the fans, a Red Bull employee, Daz, issued a clarification on social media. The Milton Keynes employee shared a picture of the alcohol bottle and dismissed allegations of bribery, noting that it's the second time Checo has extended a tequila bottle to his team.
Daz wrote on X:
"People’s replies are nuts. This is the second bottle he’s gifted us. We’re still getting our bonus. It’s not a bribe. I’m looking forward to trying it."
With his future with the team still uncertain, the 34-year-old raised eyebrows when he visited the Red Bull factory in the UK to celebrate Max Verstappen's world championship victory and to appreciate the team's efforts for the season. While Checo holds a two-year extension contract, that piece of paper does not guarantee a return. As confirmed by senior member Helmut Marko and team principal Christian Horner, a stakeholder meeting will decide how Perez's situation will be handled.
Meanwhile, if the parting rumors come true, Sergio Perez will likely be replaced by either Liam Lawson or Yuki Tsunoda. The duo drove for Red Bull's sister team, VCARB, in 2024 and are considered frontrunners to claim Checo's seat.
On the other hand, the Mexican driver remains determined to continue with the team. He plans to adhere to his extension deal and drive for Red Bull until the end of the 2026 F1 season.
Sergio Perez reportedly demands a whopping buyout compensation
While Red Bull reportedly wants to axe Sergio Perez, the latter allegedly does not intend to go down without a fight. After an underwhelming season where he finished P8, Checo's two-year extension contract is speculated to be terminated, leading to an immediate exit.
However, Viaplay's reporters Van de Grint and Allard Kalff claimed that the 34-year-old is asking for a sum of 75 million Euros as contract buyout compensation. As quoted by Planet F1, Red Bull faces a dilemma of whether to let the Mexican driver stay for another year or buy him out with a large sum of money.
“There are two possibilities, he drives next year or he gets an awful lot of money. The question is what such a buyout amount does to the story. 75 million euros seems like a good number to me. You have to buy out two years of his contract," said Van de Grint (via Planet F1).
Red Bull also reportedly faces the risk of losing a significant chunk of investors that backed Checo. It will be interesting to see how the Milton Keynes-based racing team handles Sergio Perez's contract.