Sergio Perez reveals eye-watering £6,000-an-hour psychologist fee at Red Bull

In the high-stakes world of Formula 1, the margins between success and failure are often measured in milliseconds. However, for Sergio "Checo" Perez, the price of finding those milliseconds during his early tenure at Red Bull Racing was measured in thousands of pounds. The Mexican veteran recently revealed a staggering anecdote from his 2021 season: a single psychological consultation that cost an eye-watering £6,000.

A staggering invoice for mental fortitude

Speaking on the Cracks Podcast, Perez detailed the immense pressure he faced after joining Red Bull in 2021. Replacing the likes of Pierre Gasly and Alex Albon—both of whom had struggled to find their footing alongside the generational talent of Max Verstappen—Perez was under immediate and intense scrutiny. When early results failed to materialize as expected, the team’s leadership suggested a mental health intervention.

"As soon as I arrived at Red Bull, in the first races when I didn't get results, [I was told]: 'What you need is a psychologist. You have to see a psychologist,'" Perez recalled. Being open to any competitive advantage, he agreed to the consultation. However, the financial reality of elite-level sports psychology proved to be a shock. After a single call with an English-speaking specialist, Perez received a bill for £6,000.

The Helmut Marko intervention

The story takes a classic "Red Bull" turn when it comes to the payment. Rather than settling the bill himself, Perez took the invoice directly to the team’s formidable and often polarizing advisor, Dr. Helmut Marko.

"It was £6,000 for one call!" Perez exclaimed, still seemingly astonished by the figure. Marko, known for his blunt management style and "sink or swim" philosophy, surprisingly stepped up to cover the cost. This investment seemed to pay immediate dividends. When Marko later inquired about the session's effectiveness, Perez claimed he was "all set," and the breakthrough allegedly provided the mental foundation for his next three years with the team.

Performance gains and the Verstappen factor

The psychological support appeared to work initially. Perez became a vital "Minister of Defence," most notably during the 2021 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, where his defensive driving against Lewis Hamilton was instrumental in Verstappen securing his first World Championship. For a time, Perez seemed to have cracked the code of being a Red Bull number two—a role that had destroyed the careers of several promising drivers before him.

However, the mental resilience required to stay at that level is exhausting. Perez noted that the pressure of the Red Bull environment is unique, requiring a level of "mental strength" that few can maintain over a long period, especially when the car's development begins to favor a teammate's specific driving style.

The 2024 collapse and the limits of psychology

While the mental coaching helped Perez navigate the initial "Verstappen era" pressure, the 2024 season proved that even the strongest mind cannot overcome a fundamental lack of car performance. As the RB20 became increasingly "peaky" and unpredictable, Perez’s confidence cratered.

He noted that no amount of therapy could fix a car where you are constantly wondering "in which corner you'll crash." The psychological toll of having the "whole team against you" publicly, combined with a car that felt alien to his driving style, eventually led to a performance spiral. This decline resulted in his departure from the race seat for the 2025 season.

Looking ahead: Cadillac and the 2026 return

After taking a necessary sabbatical in 2025 to reset and recharge, Perez is set for a high-profile return to the grid in 2026 with the ambitious new Cadillac entry. His journey—from the brink of exit to a £6,000 therapy session, and finally to a fresh start—serves as a stark reminder of the mental resilience required to survive at the pinnacle of motorsport.

For Perez, that expensive phone call wasn't just about racing; it was a window into the extreme measures teams and drivers will take to find a psychological edge in the most pressurized environment in sports. As he prepares for his 2026 comeback, the lessons learned in the Red Bull pressure cooker will undoubtedly be his greatest asset.