Speculation had been swirling recently that Sergio Perez was contemplating retirement, especially given his challenging 2023 season with Red Bull. Despite the rumors, Perez has firmly denied any such intentions and emphasized his commitment to Formula 1.
The rumors gained traction following Perez’s struggles with form and consistency throughout the 2023 season after a strong start. With one year remaining on his Red Bull contract and the team’s deep pool of drivers, the idea of retirement seemed plausible.
Addressing these retirement speculations ahead of the United States Grand Prix, Perez brushed off the rumors, saying, “I’m just laughing at it. There’s nothing I can do. I am fully focused on my job.” He emphasized his contractual commitment to Red Bull for the upcoming season, asserting, “I have a contract for next year, and no reason not to respect that contract. I’m going to give my very best to it.” Moreover, Perez made it clear that he sees his future in Formula 1 extending beyond his current contract, stating, “more than that, it will not be my final contract in F1.”
While Perez remained unwavering about his future in Formula 1, he acknowledged that his recent performances have been subpar. Under increased pressure to secure second place in the Drivers’ Championship, Perez admitted that his past races had not met his standards.
Perez explained, “Definitely, I think the last two races particularly, we were just lost.” Red Bull is keen to secure a 1-2 finish in the championship, but Perez’s performance has been crucial for this goal. He expressed that he’s focused on turning things around and working closely with his engineers to improve his performance.
After Christian Horner, Red Bull’s team principal, called for improved performance in the remainder of the season, Perez indicated that he had gained a better understanding of what went wrong in Japan and Qatar.
Perez stated, “Basically, it was just important for us to understand where it went wrong. Once we go into these fast weekends with the Sprint event, for example, in Qatar, if you don’t have a good setup, straight away you can easily get lost. But this is how the sport is.” He highlighted the inconsistency that his team has faced during the season but remained optimistic that they can still turn things around with five races to go.
Regarding retirement, Perez expressed that he thrives on challenges and remains committed to getting back to his best performance. He stated, “It is difficult, of course, it’s not ideal when you go through a difficult period in your career. But I just love the challenge of getting back at it – I think the easiest thing would be to walk out of it. But that’s not me, that’s not who I am. I will not give up; I have zero doubts that I will be back to my best level, and that is the only target I have in mind. I’m not even thinking about retirement or anything because that’s just the easy route.”
