After losing his Formula 1 seat at Red Bull Racing to Liam Lawson, Sergio Perez has broken his silence for the first time.
On the back of what was a horrible 2024 season for Perez, rumours surrounding his future refused to go away as he finished in a disappointing eighth place in the standings, 285 points behind teammate Max Verstappen.
Last month, the worst kept secret in the sport was made public as it was confirmed that Perez had left Red Bull and was replaced by Lawson.
In a statement, the Mexican said: "I'm incredibly grateful for the past four years with Red Bull. We broke records and reached remarkable milestones."
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Meanwhile, Red Bull team boss Christian Horner labelled Perez as an “extraordinary team player”.
Now, the 34-year-old has spoken for the first time since being replaced by Red Bull.
Sergio Perez breaks silence after Red Bull departure and drops hint on F1 future
As reported by Planet F1, Perez said: "My priority is to enjoy myself, to do things I haven’t done, to be with my family.
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"In the next six months, I will make a decision on what I want for the next step in my career."
When asked about his future in F1, the Mexican added: "It’s too early to give an answer as to whether I intend to return to Formula 1. Everything happened very quickly at the end of last season, I didn’t expect to leave the team.
"My biggest motivation now is to take my children on a good path and be more present in their lives. I am very excited to be with my family because in F1 you only think about being a better driver, preparing yourself better, you don’t have time for anything else."
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Despite losing his seat, Red Bull boss Horner did hint that Perez will have a role to play with the team in the new campaign.
He said: "He’s still going to be involved with the team. He will be doing a couple of show runs with us during next year.
"But it was right for him – because it wasn’t enjoyable for him either, getting all this scrutiny and pressure and expectation every weekend."
The 2025 F1 season will begin in March with the Australian Grand Prix, which will be held around Albert Park in Melbourne on March 16.
Topics: Formula 1, Red Bull Racing
Marcus Chan