Sergio Perez has put an end to ongoing rumours about his Formula 1 future which spread to Mexico over the Singapore weekend.
With Daniel Ricciardo set to be ousted from the RB F1 junior team with immediate effect, a new rumour about Perez joining the Red Bull Racing team has also been doing the rounds in the paddock.
“This is the first time I’ve heard of this,” smiled Dr Helmut Marko, Red Bull’s F1 consultant, when asked about the rumour that Perez could retire from F1 at the end of the season.
“But his wife is expecting their fourth child. An interesting alternative!”
The Mexican driver, however, says he is not going anywhere.
“It’s a tough calendar, 24 races a year, but I’ll be in Formula 1 for at least two more years,” Perez answers.
“I don’t think I’ll be here for much longer. My contract is for two years, which is a long time in Formula 1, but I know the end is coming.”
“I admire Fernando Alonso and what he does at his age (43), but I don’t think I’ll race as long as him. It’s not that I don’t like it, but yes, I have young children and I want to spend a lot more time with them.”
“Maybe this clarifies things and an interview in my country was misunderstood.”
When asked about his retirement, Perez admitted: “I’ve been thinking about it for the last six months, but it took me three seconds to make the decision: no!”
“Ultimately, after so many years, it would have been the easier decision to make – to walk away and kind of give it all up. But I would never have forgiven myself if I had done that.”
“It was a difficult year. It was hard to have a car with some limitations and not be able to say anything because your team-mate was winning. Max (Verstappen) was driving really well and the gap between us was increasing every time.”
That gap is now narrowing as the Red Bull’s handling issues have become increasingly evident, and Perez insists he does not want to be pushed off the grid.
“I want to retire when I decide, not when someone tells me. That’s my main goal: to decide my own future.”
“In the end, people forget about the contract. I just signed the contract. People talk a lot about everything, but I wasn’t worried because I knew the situation.”
