Has Sergio Perez contested his last Formula 1 race for Red Bull? After the Mexican had recently insisted on his valid contract, he suddenly sounds different after his loss in Abu Dhabi.
There are discussions “to see what’s best for the future and we’ll see what happens in the next few days,” Perez said.
It is no longer a secret that “an internal decision” about Perez’s future will be made on Monday at a meeting between team management and shareholder representatives. Does the 34-year-old already suspect that his career in Formula 1 is coming to an end?
“At the moment I don’t know,” replies the Mexican when asked about his current emotional state. “All I know is that I have a contract for next year’s races. If nothing changes in the next few days, it will be the same next year.”
“We have to see if we can reach an agreement”
Perez did not want to comment on the discussions among Red Bull officials as to whether Yuki Tsunoda or Liam Lawson will drive alongside Max Verstappen next year. “At the moment I can only say that I have a contract that I signed in the middle of the year to drive for the team for the next three years.”
However, Perez, who has not won a single race this year and has only been on the podium four times, also admits that “we have to wait and see what happens and how the discussions go in the next few days.”
“We will discuss what the situation looks like for both sides and see whether we can reach an agreement,” says the Mexican, noting that the demands of both sides are obviously very different. But “as I said, I have a contract for next year.”
Clutch causes failure in Abu Dhabi
At the finale in Abu Dhabi, Perez suffered his fifth retirement of the season. The Mexican had already spun on the first lap after a collision with Valtteri Bottas (Sauber) and parked his Red Bull on the side of the track a short time later.
However, contact with the Finn was not the cause of the failure. “The engine was already damaged before it was touched,” sums up Perez, who reports that the clutch was slipping. “I think the drivetrain was the problem because every time I upshifted I lost propulsion.”
“Then the contact came, I don’t know who hit me from behind,” said Perez. “When I got the car back on the track, the clutch was stuck.” Overall, the race was “a good summary of the season,” emphasizes the Red Bull driver.
Perez decision “in a few days”?
As a driver, you “undoubtedly depend on your environment and the car and how much you can get out of it,” says Perez. “This year I had a car that I could hardly use consistently at 100 percent, it was very complicated all year long.”
Would the Mexican prefer to devote himself to a role as a Red Bull ambassador in the future? “As I said, we will talk about it in a few days,” says Perez. It will take some time before there is final clarity about the future of the current Red Bull driver.