Mexican Sergio Perez will replace Alexander Albon at Red Bull next season, the Formula One team said on Friday.
The 30-year-old Perez, a winner for Racing Point in Bahrain this month, will race alongside Max Verstappen, with British-born Thai Albon serving as the team’s test and reserve driver.
Perez had lost his seat at Racing Point (Aston Martin) to four-time world champion Sebastian Vettel. He had indicated he would take a sabbatical next year if he failed to find another F1 seat.
Perez, who finished fourth in the overall standings behind Verstappen despite missing two races due to Covid-19, becomes the first driver from outside Red Bull’s development programme to race for the team since Mark Webber retired at the end of 2013.
He is F1’s only Latin American driver and the first Mexican to win a race for 50 years.
Red Bull finished second behind dominant Mercedes in the overall standings.
Winners of the season-ending Abu Dhabi Grand Prix from pole position with Verstappen last Sunday, they will hope to be challenging for the title next year.
