After facing a lot of uncertainty over his future, Sergio Perez finally extended his Red Bull contract a couple of weeks ago. This new deal keeps him at the team until at least the end of the 2026 campaign. This comes despite Perez’s slump in form, which has been a regular occurrence over the last two years. However, neither does the Mexican see it as a hindrance nor does he think it will be his last F1 contract.
Currently 34, Perez will be 36 years old when his new deal with Red Bull runs out in 2026. While he won’t necessarily be ‘slowing down’ in terms of ability, there will be younger sharper drivers waiting to pounce on his F1 seat. Nonetheless, Perez remains unbothered. He cited Lewis Hamilton and Fernando Alonso as a reason for the same.
“Certainly when you look at Fernando or even Lewis, there’s a long way to go,” said Perez as reported by Planet F1. “But I think I didn’t sign my last contract. I don’t think I’ve done that.”
Sergio Perez confirmed to remain at Red Bull Racing
The six-time race winner has agreed to a 2-year contract extension at the Milton Keynes outfit, which will see him stay until at least 2026#F1 pic.twitter.com/BEuKpON9eZ
— Formula 1 (@F1) June 4, 2024
Perez went on to add that he wants to end his F1 career with Red Bull, a team he joined in 2021. His first two seasons were up to the mark, and the #11 driver did what the team expected from him. Bu,t in 2023, his performance took a huge hit, and if Max Verstappen hadn’t dominated (winning 19 out of 22 races), Red Bull’s Constructors’ title hopes could have been in the mud.
Perez’s 2024 season meanwhile, has been a tale of two halves till now. He started very well, finishing just behind Verstappen in races; which is what Red Bull wanted.
Since Imola, however, his form has taken a turn for the worse again. P8 in Imola was followed by a DNF in Monaco and Canada respectively. But Perez knows how demanding his team is, and is ready to rise up to the challenge.
Sergio Perez is ready for Red Bull challenge
Perez, in the same interview, recalls how he felt Red Bull was a different environment than what he had ever experienced in F1 before, as soon as he arrived in 2021. He labels it as a team that “takes everything out of you.”
The Guadalajara-born driver insists that the fact that he signed for them, and extended his contract shows that he is up for the challenge. The former Force India driver is used to the environment now, and knows that he has to contribute to the team’s success to guarantee a place at the Milton-Keynes-based team.
Im very sorry for my team, I let them down today. But we will come back no doubt. There’s a very long way to go
Me siento muy apenado con mi equipo. Hoy les fallé. Pero no tengo duda de que vamos a volver. Hay todavía mucho camino por delante #SP11 #CanadianGP pic.twitter.com/osT7UJ8h17
— Sergio Pérez (@SChecoPerez) June 9, 2024
So far, Perez is P5 in the Drivers’ Standings. He has 107 points to his name with four podium finishes.
Red Bull, however, isn’t all that comfortable in the constructors’ standings. They are just 24 points ahead of Ferrari, and will be banking on both Perez and Verstappen to make the lead bigger.
