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Sergio Perez is officially out at Red Bull, in yet another example of that team handling a lineup change in the worst way possible.

I don’t know that any team mishandles driver lineup matters worse than Red Bull.

Actually, let’s go a step further: does any team in sports handle their lineup moves worse than Red Bull?

Because, I thought the way Red Bull managed Daniel Ricciardo’s exit from Visa Cash App RB was bad, but the unceremonious way they dumped Checo — who let’s not forget, was instrumental in helping teammate Max Verstappen win the 2021 World Drivers’ Championship — is wild.

The news was announced on Wednesday, more than a week after the checkered flag felon the season finale in Abu Dhabi.

“Driving for Red Bull has been an unforgettable experience and I’ll always cherish the successes we achieved together. We broke records, reached remarkable milestones, and I’ve had the privilege of meeting so many incredible people along the way,” Perez said in a statement, per the Formula 1 website.

That’s a classy statement, but it’s a shame the way this went down.

Look, this move had to be made. Checo underperformed in a big way for most of the season. They needed to move on and give Liam Lawson or Yuki Tsunoda a chance with the big team.

I knew it, you knew it, everyone knew it.

But still, the team was adamant that he was their guy for 2025. To a degree, it was true in that Perez was signed, but there’s typically a way out of a deal in Formula 1 and it looks like there was in this case as well.

It’s a bummer that Perez didn’t get the send-off he deserved and didn’t get to publicly savor what was possibly his last Formula 1 Grand Prix.

The same thing happened to Ricciardo, and it’s a shame.

Despite its reputation for glitz and glamour, F1 is ruthlessly cutthroat, and here’s yet another example of it. 

Maybe it took so long to get it done because the two sides were working on an agreement. Still, I think Checo deserved better.

It looks like Liam Lawson is the heir apparent to Checo’s old seat, which would mean Red Bull’s sister team will likely field a lineup consisting of Yuki Tsunoda and F2 runner-up Isack Hadjar.