Sergio Perez has described his last six months at Red Bull as toxic and said the period left him wanting a break from Formula 1.
The Mexican driver spent four seasons at the team alongside Max Verstappen. Red Bull won the constructors' championship in both 2022 and 2023 while Verstappen secured four straight drivers' titles.
Perez made the comments on the High Performance podcast after returning to the grid with Cadillac. He said the internal pressure from repeated success created friction among staff.
"My last six months at Red Bull were very tough, even for me, when mentally I feel very strong," Perez said. "They were very, very tough, and I would say toxic, and I really wanted a break."
Perez was replaced by Liam Lawson for the 2025 season. He later signed with Cadillac, which entered the championship in 2026 alongside Valtteri Bottas. Perez added that he had been unsure whether he would return to the sport at all.