Sergio Perez: ‘There is no loyalty’ after Aston Martin project ends without him

Perez’s role in Aston Martin’s beginnings

Sergio Perez has revealed how his involvement in the transformation of Force India into Aston Martin ultimately ended with him being dropped by the team — despite believing he would remain part of its future.

Perez led the move into administration, aiming to protect the workforce and prevent Force India from facing a winding-up petition. That process brought Lawrence Stroll into the picture. Stroll bought the team with a consortium, rebranded it as Racing Point and retained Perez alongside his son, Lance Stroll.

Speaking on the High Performance Podcast, Perez described the decision as difficult. He had a three-year contract with options and believed his future was tied to the team he had been with for much of his career.

“I really thought that I was going to be part of that project together with Lawrence and Lance,” he said.

Vettel’s arrival changed the equation

Perez understood why the situation shifted when Vettel became available. The German was a four-time world champion and, in Perez’s assessment, represented an opportunity Lawrence Stroll would naturally consider.

“A four-time world champion became available, and I understood this is how the sport works,” Perez said. “He had an option. He didn’t renew it, and then he went for Sebastian.”

Perez did not frame the outcome as a personal dispute. Instead, he described Formula 1 as a sport without guarantees of loyalty, while stressing that his relationship with people at Aston Martin remained positive. Readers can also follow the team’s continuing development in Aston Martin’s latest Honda power-unit upgrade.

A victory opened an unexpected door

Perez focused on his performance and identified his Racing Point victory at the Sakhir Grand Prix as the turning point. The win was Racing Point’s first and drew Red Bull’s attention.

“The only team I thought that I was never going to drive for was Red Bull,” Perez said. “So I end up driving for Red Bull.”

He went on to claim five victories with Red Bull and played an important role in Max Verstappen’s 2021 championship success. Although Red Bull dropped him at the end of 2024, that spell helped generate interest from Cadillac. The team wanted a fast, experienced driver, giving Perez a route back to Formula 1 in 2026.