The Formula 1 paddock is never quiet, even in the depths of the winter break. As we settle into January 2026, the echoes of a tumultuous 2025 season are still reverberating through the sport, bringing with them revelations that reshape our understanding of the grid’s two biggest stories: the chaotic driver carousel at Red Bull Racing and Lewis Hamilton’s grueling initiation at Ferrari.
In a sport defined by speed, sometimes the most impactful moments happen at a standstill—in quiet exit meetings or during moments of solitary reflection. This week, we have been gifted both. Sergio “Checo” Perez has finally pulled back the curtain on his departure from Red Bull, revealing a prophetic warning he delivered to Christian Horner that has since come hauntingly true. Simultaneously, Lewis Hamilton, fresh off his 41st birthday, has broken his silence on a “draining” debut season in red, signaling a desperate need for a spiritual and competitive reset.
The Red Bull Revolving Door: A Prophecy Fulfilled
To understand the weight of Sergio Perez’s recent comments, we must rewind the clock. The Mexican driver’s tenure at Red Bull was a rollercoaster of dizzying highs and crushing lows. From 2021 to 2024, Perez proved to be the most stable teammate Max Verstappen had seen since the days of Daniel Ricciardo. With multiple race wins, a third-place championship finish in 2022, and a runner-up spot in 2023, Perez delivered the constructors’ points the team craved.
However, the unforgiving nature of elite sport caught up with him in 2024. A promising start crumbled into a run of poor form, leaving him eighth in the standings and ultimately without a seat for 2025. But it is what happened during that exit that has now set the F1 world ablaze.
In a candid appearance on the “Cracks” podcast, Perez exposed the details of his final conversations with Red Bull Team Principal Christian Horner. It wasn’t a plea for his job, but a warning about the team’s future stability.
“I remember when I said my farewell with Christian,” Perez recounted. “I said to him, ‘Hey Christian, what are you going to do when it doesn’t work out with the next one?’”
Horner’s response, according to Perez, was dismissive, citing Yuki Tsunoda as a backup. But Perez pushed further. “And what are you going to do when it doesn’t work out with him?”
The reply from the Red Bull boss was chillingly confident: “No, we have lots of drivers.”
Perez’s retort was simple, cutting, and ultimately, prophetic: “Well, you’re going to use them all.”
Horner reportedly agreed, saying, “Yes, I know.”
The Chaos of 2025
Looking back at the debris of the 2025 season, Perez’s words feel less like a warning and more like a curse. Red Bull’s strategy of treating drivers as interchangeable parts backfired spectacularly.
The team initially replaced Perez with Liam Lawson, the young New Zealander who had shown promise in cameos. The patience of the Red Bull hierarchy, however, had evaporated. Lawson was brutally dropped after just two rounds in 2025 following difficult performances, a decision that shocked pundits and fans alike. He was demoted back to the junior program, his confidence shattered.
Next into the meat grinder was Yuki Tsunoda. The Japanese driver, who had spent years developing at the sister team, finally got his shot at the big time. But the pressure of the second Red Bull seat—often called the most difficult job in motorsport—proved too much. Tsunoda struggled throughout the remainder of 2025 and, true to the ruthless nature of the team, was dropped at the end of the season.
In the span of 12 months, Red Bull had burned through two talented young drivers, proving Perez right. They did use them all. And in doing so, they inadvertently validated the job Perez had done for four years.
The Year of Not Racing
For a racing driver, being off the grid is usually a death sentence for their reputation. For Sergio Perez, 2025 was the opposite. By sitting on the sidelines and watching his successors falter, his stock rose higher than it had in years.
“I think it’s been my best year in Formula 1,” Perez admitted, referring to his season away from the track. “The one I didn’t race, and the one where everyone realized how successful I was.”
There is a profound irony in his statement. While he wasn’t collecting trophies, he was collecting vindication. The poor results of Lawson and Tsunoda highlighted just how difficult the Red Bull car is to drive and how resilient Perez had been to survive alongside Verstappen for as long as he did.
“Today it has much more value,” Perez noted regarding his past successes. This renewed appreciation has paved the way for his return. In a twist that excites fans across the Americas, Perez is set to return to the grid in 2026, spearheading the entry of Cadillac into Formula 1. It is a redemption arc worthy of a Hollywood script—the veteran who was cast aside, only to be proven right, returning to lead a new American giant.
Lewis Hamilton: The Weight of the Prancing Horse
While Perez was finding vindication in absence, Lewis Hamilton was finding exhaustion in presence. The 2025 season was meant to be the fairytale capstone to the Briton’s legendary career—a move to Ferrari to chase an elusive eighth world title.
The reality, however, was starkly different.
As we enter 2026, Hamilton has finally opened up about the toll of his debut season in Maranello. It was, by his own admission, a “very draining year.” The statistics paint a grim picture of his struggles. While there were flashes of brilliance—a sprint race win in China and a handful of P4 finishes—consistency eluded him. He finished the season a staggering 86 points behind his teammate, Charles Leclerc.
For a driver accustomed to dominating his teammates, or at least fighting them tooth and nail, such a deficit is a bitter pill to swallow. The Ferrari romance seemed to hit the rocks of reality: a difficult car, a team struggling to find direction (finishing P4 in the constructors’ championship), and a driver trying to adapt to a completely new environment at the age of 40.
“The Time for Change is Now”
Now 41, Hamilton took to social media on his birthday to send a message to his legion of fans. It wasn’t a message of defiance or aggression, but one of introspection and healing.
“I’m incredibly grateful for this break,” Hamilton wrote. “Time to disconnect, recharge, and find a bit of inner peace.”
His words reveal the heavy psychological burden he carried throughout 2025. “Time with family and friends, replenishing with rest and good laughs has been everything I need after a very draining year,” he continued.
The post suggests that the relentless pace of Formula 1, combined with the intense scrutiny of his high-profile move to Ferrari, left him running on empty. “In a world that moves so fast, where we’re constantly being pulled in so many directions, truly disconnecting has been the most amazing feeling.”
But Hamilton is not looking to simply fade away. He is looking to evolve. He referenced the shifting astrological calendar, noting that we are “entering the year of the horse and leaving behind the year of the snake.”
The metaphor is potent. The snake—often associated with shedding skin, but also with danger or hidden troubles—represents the trials of 2025. The horse, a symbol of energy, power, and freedom (and coincidentally, the emblem of Ferrari), represents his hope for 2026.
“The time for change is now,” Hamilton declared. “Starting new routines, leaving behind unwanted patterns, and working on growth.”
The Stakes for 2026
As we look toward the 2026 season, the narratives are set. On one side, we have Sergio Perez, the vindicated veteran returning with Cadillac, armed with the knowledge that he is better than the team that discarded him believed. He has nothing left to prove to Red Bull, but everything to prove to the world as he leads a new manufacturer.
On the other side, we have Lewis Hamilton and Ferrari. The honeymoon phase is long dead; now comes the hard work of marriage. Ferrari finishing P4 in 2025 was a disaster for the Scuderia. They need to provide Hamilton with a car that matches his ambition, and Hamilton needs to prove that at 41, he can still extract the maximum from it.
Hamilton’s focus on “leaving behind unwanted patterns” suggests he knows changes must be made—perhaps in his driving style, his integration with the team, or his mental approach. The “fresh start” he speaks of is not just a platitude; it is a necessity if he wants his Ferrari chapter to be remembered for triumphs rather than struggles.
The paddock awaits. Will the Year of the Horse bring glory back to Maranello? Will the Cadillac roar announce Perez’s ultimate revenge? One thing is certain: the drivers are done talking. Soon, the engines will speak for them.