Sergio Perez’s defiantly claims ‘when I want’ in latest F1 retirement update

Sergio Perez is adamant he won’t be kicked out of F1, he’ll leave when he wants

Although Sergio Perez concedes the end of his F1 career is “getting closer”, the Red Bull driver will retire when he wants to and not when someone tells him it’s over.

Perez has toiled in an uphill battle this season, the Mexican driver the only one in the top eight of the Driver’s standings without a win on the board.

Sergio Perez adamant he won’t be kicked out of F1

In fact, he hasn’t had a podium in 13 races, stretching back to April’s Chinese Grand Prix, such have been his troubles with the RB20.

Although the balance issues have now bled into the other side of the garage with team-mate Max Verstappen also suffering, the Dutchman is still bringing in podiums whereas Perez’s best result during Red Bull’s winless streak was a P6.

Languishing down in eighth place in the Drivers’ standings with 144 points, his failure to match Verstappen’s 331, or even get close, has cost Red Bull the lead in the Constructors’ Championship. P2 could also be on the line as Ferrari are only 34 points adrift.

It’s led to almost constant speculation that Red Bull could drop Perez either during the season or at the end, and do so despite handing him a new two-year deal in early June.

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Such has been the barrage, even Perez momentarily thought about retiring.

“These past six months I did think about it, but it took me three seconds to make the decision,” he told DAZN.

“In the end, it would be the easy route, after so many years to quit and kind of give up. I would never have forgiven myself for that.

“I want to finish my career when I want and not when someone tells me. That’s my main focus: to get to the point where I can decide my future.

“For now I am very motivated, to be honest, I really want to continue in F1. I enjoy it. Especially the good times you really enjoy, but you also learn to enjoy the bad ones.”

The Mexican driver, who has 39 podiums and six grand prix wins to his name, is determined to see out his two-year deal that begins next season.

“For now I have two more years on my contract, and two years in F1 is a long time, but I know that the end is getting closer,” he said.

After that, though, who knows what comes next.

“I don’t see myself racing here like Fernando [Alonso, 43], for example, whom I admire greatly for everything he does at his age. It’s not that I wouldn’t like to, but because I have small children and I want to spend a lot more time with them. At the end of the day, they will be the limiting factor.”

That the F1 calendar now extends to 24 grands prix will also be a factor as it means more time away from home and his children.

“With 24 races a year, the calendar is already complicated, but I will be here for at least two more years,” he added. “However, I don’t see myself in Formula 1 for much longer.”

However, there could be a snag in Perez’s plans as Red Bull and VCARB announced on Thursday that Liam Lawson will replace Daniel Ricciardo for the final six races of the season. And F1’s rumour mill claims he could be auditioning for either the VCARB or Red Bull F1 2025 seat.

Perez concluded: “In the end, the issue of the contract was something that people forget. I made a fair contract this season, and many times people talk too much, but I wasn’t worried, I know where I stand.”

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