Axed Crimson Bull driver Sergio Perez will take at the least six months off racing in 2025 earlier than deciding whether or not he’ll even try to make a Method 1 comeback.
Perez’s F1 profession was dropped at a sudden halt on the finish of the 2024 season when Crimson Bull determined to pay him not race within the upcoming marketing campaign after his prolonged string of poor performances final season.
These culminated in Crimson Bull lacking the 2024 constructors’ championship title to associate with Max Verstappen’s fourth consecutive drivers’ crown – claimed within the different RB20 – and the crew ultimately determined to not go forward with Perez’s two-year contract extension and as a substitute promote Liam Lawson in his place.
In his first public feedback since Crimson Bull and Perez reached the settlement in mid-December 2024 which suggests he’ll spend the approaching interval on the F1 sidelines, Perez mentioned, “issues will are available their very own time” relating to his racing future.
“Within the subsequent six months I’ll decide on what’s subsequent for my profession,” added Perez, who was talking on the Feria de Leon occasion within the Mexican state of state of Guanajuato.
“I’m completely glad, and I’ll return to Method 1 if that’s what makes me happiest.”
Perez had insisted all through the top of the 2024 F1 season that he would honour his facet of his anticipated cope with Crimson Bull – a hardball negotiating tactic to make sure he would obtain a payoff to not race in 2025.
Sergio Perez, Crimson Bull Racing RB20
Photograph by: Andy Hone / Motorsport Photos
He due to this fact mentioned he was additionally proud that he “by no means gave up” in throughout the run of races that adopted his now irrelevant contract extension, which was signed early final summer time.
“The necessary factor is that I by no means gave up,” Perez mentioned. “Every time one thing tough occurred in my profession higher issues got here and that was as a result of I by no means gave up.
“I am very enthusiastic about what’s to return this yr and I am very calm and really glad.
“I’m actually having fun with my kids, my household, my associates. I’m lastly going to journey, as a result of in these years I travelled everywhere in the world, however with out figuring out it”.
If Perez doesn’t obtain an F1 return in 2026 – his Crimson Bull exit coming in spite of everything the opposite seats for the upcoming marketing campaign had already been crammed – he’ll finish his profession within the class with six wins and three poles from 281 begins.
Crimson Bull has beforehand mentioned Perez will “nonetheless be concerned with the model and the crew” – per crew boss Christian Horner – in an off-track capability, though this seems but to take form as he was not sporting crew equipment on the Leon pageant.
On this article
Alex Kalinauckas
Method 1
Sergio Perez
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