Sponsor says Perez was 'no longer comfortable'

Mar.20 (GMM) Sergio Perez “no longer felt comfortable” at Red Bull, but he could return to Formula 1.

That is the claim of Jimmy Morales, head of the Carlos Slim-founded sponsorship program Escuderia Telmex Telcel, which was instrumental in funding the Mexican driver’s career.

Telmex-related Latin American brands are now missing from Red Bull’s livery after the team replaced him with Liam Lawson – although ‘Claro’ has just re-emerged on the Audi-owned Sauber car.

Morales, like Perez’s father Antonio Perez Garibay, is hinting at a potential F1 comeback.

“Checo doesn’t need to return to racing – he’s already done what he should have done in his career,” he told Formula de 2 podcast.

“But if he does go back, it will be because he feels like it, because he wants to, and because he’s hungry for success.”

Morales explains that by the time Red Bull finally reached its split agreement with Perez, 35, there were no race seats left.

“We’re always trying to negotiate, but the truth is that they caught us at the very end,” he said.

However, Morales says Perez no longer felt comfortable at Red Bull anyway.

“There are a lot of interests,” he said. “Whether it’s fair or not, there are internal pressures, the Red Bull board – too many things, and our driver no longer felt comfortable there.

“He started to say, ‘If they are going to give me a car to fight for last place, what’s the point?'”