Former Red Bull driver Sergio Perez has claimed that his 2024 F1 struggles were a “big distraction” from the controversy surrounding then-team principal Christian Horner.
Perez spent four years as a Red Bull driver between 2021 and 2024, collecting all but one of his six career victories with the Milton Keynes team.
Sergio Perez recalls Christian Horner saga ahead of F1 2026 return with Cadillac
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The Mexican driver was replaced at the end of the 2024 campaign after a disappointing season alongside four-time world champion Max Verstappen.
Perez has secured a return to F1 for 2026 with the new Cadillac F1 team, which will make its debut at the season-opening Australian Grand Prix in March.
The former Red Bull driver will be partnered by Valtteri Bottas, a 10-time race winner with the Mercedes team.
Perez’s final season at Red Bull played out against the backdrop of allegations against Horner, who was accused of inappropriate behaviour by a Red Bull employee.
Horner, who has always denied the claims, was twice cleared of wrongdoing.
Appearing on the Cracks podcast, Perez has claimed that his own lack of performance proved to be a “big distraction” at Red Bull in 2024 as “no one talked about anything but me.”
He said: “There was also so much pressure that year.
“Christian had some issues, so it was also a bit that I was the distraction.
“I was the big distraction. No one talked about anything but me, my performance, how badly I was doing.”
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Perez’s comments come after PlanetF1.com revealed on Thursday that Horner, who was sacked by Red Bull in July last year following a muted start to the 2025 season, is facing a stumbling block in his plans to return to F1 in 2026.
As reported at the time by PlanetF1.com, Horner reached a $100million (£74.2m/€85.1m) settlement in September 2025, clearing the path for the 52-year-old to launch an F1 comeback at some stage in 2026.
Having been linked with a role at Aston Martin in the closing weeks of last season, the Alpine team has emerged as Horner’s most likely route for an F1 return over recent weeks.
Horner is thought to have secured sufficient funding to acquire Otro Capital’s 24 per cent stake in the Enstone-based team.
However, Alpine company documents obtained by PlanetF1.com reveal that Otro’s ability to sell its slice is govered by a time constraint on its part, and requires the approval of Renault.
It is thought, however, that a claw-back option might exist that could expedite that ahead of what would otherwise be a September 13 sale date (at the earliest).
While a return with Alpine is thought to be the most likely avenue for Horner, it is not the only option available to the 52-year-old, who will be free to return to F1 in the coming months.
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