Sergio Perez has revealed he was given two opportunities to leave Red Bull and join another team for the 2025 season.
Perez's future with the team remains under scrutiny amid a difficult season for the Mexican driver.
He last stood on the podium in China and slipped to eighth in the drivers' championship, while teammate Max Verstappen is on course to win a fourth F1 title.
Red Bull fell to third place in the constructors' standings after team principal Christian Horner repeatedly asked Perez to improve his game.
Perez signed a two-year contract extension with Red Bull earlier this year – but revealed he was given the chance to change teams.
"I had an opportunity, two opportunities actually, to change teams," he told GQ.
“When I considered that, I said to myself that I really like the challenge that I have at Red Bull. It's a huge challenge to be Max's teammate. It's a challenge that basically trains you towards what you want, facing the best.”
“So I said I wanted to spend the last part of my career at the top, right at the top, where the pressure is at its highest.”
“At the end of the day, when you go through a difficult period, you talk a lot, but in the end, 90% of the drivers on the grid would have liked to have had my career.”
Several drivers, including Liam Lawson and Franco Colapinto, are cited as possible replacements for Perez in 2025 if Red Bull ultimately decides to sideline him. However, the 34-year-old downplayed the rumors, insisting they are an integral part of F1.
“That's how sport works. You have one or two bad races, a lot of negative talk about you, etc.”
“But it's also something that's part of the culture of the team – with Red Bull. The discussions around the environment, the growing youth pipeline, the contract negotiations, etc. It's just part of the game.”
Is Perez protected?
To oust Perez, however, his contract constitutes a major obstacle, for several reasons. For example, a series of new Red Bull sponsors for 2025 would be contractually linked to the Mexican driver.
It also appears that Christian Horner has agreed to remove the termination clauses from Perez's new contract, valid for 2025. Buying out Perez's contract would not only cost the team tens of millions of euros in sponsorship terms, but also 20 million euros in damages to be paid to Perez.
However, team advisor Dr Helmut Marko continues to say that Sergio Perez's seat is not guaranteed for 2025
“Nothing will happen before the last race in Abu Dhabi. Perez wants to continue fighting and get back on track in the last three races of the season. The situation will be reassessed after Abu Dhabi.”
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