Sergio Perez has claimed Red Bull are regretting their decision to drop him at the end of last season, citing insider knowledge that the team are remorseful about the move.
The 35-year-old spent four years at Red Bull as Max Verstappen's teammate before being axed in December following a difficult 2024 campaign where he finished eighth in the championship standings.
"I know that deep down they are very sorry, I know that from a very good source," the Mexican driver revealed on the Desde el Paddock podcast.
His departure came despite signing a two-year contract extension at the start of the 2024 season.
Sergio Perez said Chris Horner and Red Bull will be 'very, very sorry' for axing his contract
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Red Bull's attempts to replace Perez have proved disastrous, with both Liam Lawson and Yuki Tsunoda struggling in the role.
Lawson was chosen as Perez's successor initially, but lasted just two rounds before being brutally axed from the position.
The New Zealander was replaced by Tsunoda, who has faired little better in his eight appearances for the team.
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Liam Lawson lasted just two races before being brutally axed
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The Japanese driver has failed to finish higher than ninth place and currently sits 15th in the championship standings with just 10 points from 10 races.
Tsunoda's best results have included reaching Q3 and scoring points from the pit lane, but team principal Christian Horner acknowledged "he has a long way to go".
Perez criticised Red Bull for failing to protect him despite his contractual status, suggesting the team created unnecessary pressure around his position.
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He explained: "I had a signed contract in Monaco, but from the next race onwards, everyone was talking about my future even though I already had a signed contract.
"It would have been easy for the team to protect me and say, 'You know what? We have a driver signed for the next two years'. But that wasn't the case."
The Mexican driver believes this pressure ultimately affected his side of the garage.
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The Mexican signed a two-year deal at the start of the 2024 season
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"In the end, there was a lot of pressure on my side of the garage... it was putting a lot of pressure on the engineers, on everyone involved, and I think in the end that ended up costing us a lot," he continued.
Perez enjoyed considerable success during his four-year stint at Red Bull from 2021 to 2024, winning five races and securing numerous podium finishes.
His best campaign came in 2023 when he finished second in the championship behind Verstappen, helping Red Bull achieve their first-ever one-two finish in the drivers' standings.
Horner offered a contrasting view on the team's support for Perez, claiming in December that Red Bull had tried "everything" to help him.
He stated: "We've tried everything with him and supporting him and basically he has come to his own conclusion that I think that now is the right time to step away from Formula 1."
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