Red Bull star Max Verstappen has finally spoken out after former teammate Sergio Perez was sacked by the Formula One team.
In official statements on Wednesday, Perez and Red Bull confirmed that they had officially parted ways after three years working together.
The 34-year-old had been under considerable pressure for over a year as teammate Verstappen vastly outperformed him as he won his fourth consecutive F1 world title.
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And now, the Dutch champion has spoken out to address the departure of his teammate with a heartfelt message on social media.
Verstappen raced alongside Perez throughout the Mexican's entire team at Red Bull, and the pair appeared to develop a strong bond as Perez often proved essential to helping Verstappen win the championship.
Therefore, it comes as no surprise that the Dutchman had nothing but nice things to say about his former teammate after the news of his exit was confirmed.
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Posting on Instagram, the 27-year-old wrote: "It’s been an absolute pleasure driving alongside you. We’ve had some amazing moments together that I’ll always remember. Thank you, Checo!"
Verstappen is yet to make any comment about who he expects or would like to see replace Perez as his partner at Red Bull, but reports suggest that Racing Bulls driver Liam Lawson is the most likely candidate.
In an interview withSky Sports, Red Bull team principal Christian Horner offered some insight into what they will be looking for when selecting the perfect partner for their four-time champion.
"The most important thing for us next year is to make sure that we have two drivers that are performing as close as possible," he said
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"It's going to be very tight next year so the decisions that we make will have that in mind. What is the best lineup that we can field at Red Bull racing?"
Horner added: "We have all of the information that we need. Essentially it will be a choice between Yuki and Liam."
Meanwhile Perez confirmed that he will be taking some time away from the sport to evaluate exactly what the next step in his Formula One career would be.
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In his official statement on Instagram, the Mexican driver said: "On a personal note, it’s time to slow down for the first time in my life. But only for a few corners until we know what our next journey is.:
Topics: Max Verstappen, Formula 1, Red Bull Racing
Ben McCrum