Sergio Perez receives heartwarming Max Verstappen gift as Red Bull ace fulfils promise
Sergio Perez and Max Verstappen have completed a long-awaited exchange.
Sergio Perez posted a photo of his helmet swap with Max Verstappen in an end-of-year Instagram round-up, confirming that the Dutchman completed a promise that he revealed to the media in 2025.
Perez and Verstappen spent four seasons as team-mates between 2021 and 2024, with the Mexican racer playing a pivotal supporting role as the 28-year-old beat Lewis Hamilton to win his maiden Drivers’ Championship crown.
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The Guadalajara-born driver was axed by Red Bull at the end of the 2024 campaign after a miserable year, making way for New Zealander Liam Lawson, who was axed just two races into the 2025 season after a miserable start. His replacement, Yuki Tsunoda, didn’t fare much better.
Tsunoda and Verstappen shared images of their helmet swap after the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, and the Dutchman has also traded lids with former team-mate Perez ahead of the 35-year-old’s return to the grid with Cadillac in 2026.
"We were great team-mates, and so I have a lot of respect for him, he has a lot of respect for me, and that is it from my side,” Verstappen explained in 2025. “I am looking forward to hopefully seeing him again in the paddock soon, and I still need to give him a helmet of mine.
"I promised him that because he gave me one of his with a very nice message on it, and I promised him that hopefully, around Mexico, I can give him one of mine. So for me, whatever is written in the media, I know how Checo is, and we have a great relationship."
Perez returns to the paddock in 2026 with the new Cadillac squad, teaming up with Valtteri Bottas after both drivers spent the year on the sidelines in 2025 following exits from Red Bull and Sauber, respectively.
However, Perez won’t be able to rest on his return to the sport. Cadillac are priming former IndyCar icon Colton Herta for a shot at an F1 career in 2027, with the California native taking on Formula Two with Hitech next term.
“To me, it's a bit irrelevant where we start,” Perez told F1.com in November. “What is more important is how quickly we are able to progress. I want to push the team forward from day one. I think we will be able to surprise a lot of people.
“That's a target for us, to be able to have a strong impact in Formula One since day one.” He added: “I see this as my main, big, final project in the sport, and I want to make sure that I make it a successful comeback.”
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