Amid swirling paddock rumours, here is why it is not the time for Sergio Pérez to retire from F1.
After Daniel Ricciardo left RB following the Singapore Grand Prix, speculation about the future of other Red Bull drivers in F1 intensified, with rumours circulating that Sergio Pérez might retire from the sport.
Sergio Perez has a “plan” announce his retirement from F1 in Mexico, it has been claimed.https://t.co/ytLj9Pg6yY#F1 #SergioPerez #RedBull #MexicanGP pic.twitter.com/Z9AA4Aay1M
— PlanetF1 (@Planet_F1) September 28, 2024
Pérez is under contract with Red Bull through 2026, but his performance this season – currently 8th in the Drivers’ standings compared to teammate Max Verstappen‘s first place – has stirred controversy about his future in the sport.
Rumours persist that Red Bull might replace the Mexican driver before his contract expires. Many view Yuki Tsunoda as a natural successor, while Liam Lawson aims to impress as Ricciardo’s stand-in.
This change would enable Red Bull to incorporate drivers from F2 and F3 into their lineups, paving the way for both Red Bull and RB’s future beyond those near retirement.
The Man Himself
However, Pérez insists he will remain alongside Verstappen in the Austrian team. Speaking to DAZN, he said:
“These past six months I did think about it [retirement], but it took me three seconds to make the decision.
“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 enjoy, but you also learn to enjoy the bad ones.”
He humorously addressed the retirement rumours on X at the weekend also:
Sorry 😂🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣 pic.twitter.com/rPIHpYDVGH
— Sergio Pérez (@SChecoPerez) September 29, 2024
Career Beginnings
Pérez moved from karting to junior formulae in 2004. His breakthrough came in the 2007 British Formula 3 International Series, where he claimed his first championship with T-Sport. In 2009, he advanced to the GP2 series, finishing second behind Pastor Maldonado.
His successes earned him a spot in the Ferrari Driver Academy from 2010 to 2012. In 2011, Pérez signed with Sauber and partnered with Kamui Kobayashi, making his Formula 1 debut at the Australian Grand Prix. However, both drivers were disqualified due to an illegal rear wing.
F1 So Far
After an underwhelming rookie season, Pérez found greater success with Sauber in 2012, securing his first podium in Malaysia and adding two more in Canada and Italy.
In 2013, he replaced Lewis Hamilton at McLaren, partnering with Jenson Button. However, the pairing failed to deliver, and after a podium-less season, Pérez moved to Force India in 2014.
It was with Force India – later rebranded as Racing Point during the 2018 season – that Pérez proved his true potential. He earned five podiums with the team and achieved what many believed impossible by finishing fourth in the championship in 2020.
He also claimed his first career win at the 2020 Sakhir Grand Prix, despite dropping to last place at the end of the first lap.
Pérez’s relationship with Racing Point quickly stagnated, leading to Sebastian Vettel replacing him at the rebranded Aston Martin for the 2021 season. He then signed with Red Bull to partner Verstappen.
Under Red Bull, in 2022, Pérez secured two more victories at the Monaco and Singapore Grands Prix, along with his maiden pole position in Saudi Arabia. He finished the season in third place. In 2023, he finished as the runner-up to Verstappen in the World Drivers’ Championship. This was his first P2 position in the Championship and a career highlight for the Mexican who helped lead Red Bull to another successive Constructors Championship.
Time to Retire?
As of the 2024 Singapore Grand Prix, Pérez has achieved six race wins, three pole positions, 12 fastest laps, and 39 podiums in F1.
For a driver who was fortunate enough to race for Red Bull during their domination period, which saw Verstappen lead comfortably from both his teammate with the same car and the rest of the grid, these numbers are not as high as they could be.
Pérez’s performance in 2024 could also be attributed to significant issues with the RB20. After a promising start, where he finished on the podium in four of the first five races, he has struggled to reach the top three in any Grands Prix since.
For Pérez, these challenges stem from what he has faced over the past 15 months due to “the car development, the direction, and the trajectory we’ve been taking,” according to F1 media.
While Verstappen was able to manage, recent races have shown the Dutchman’s struggle also.
“Some people don’t understand it, especially from the media side, that different driver styles can come to different conclusions. The problem was… Well, not the problem – the good thing was that Max was less sensitive to it than I was.
“Ten, 12 races ago, I was complaining about these issues, but now they are so big that even Max is feeling them. I think the solution will benefit me even more with my style.
“It’s very clear in the data, the team is fully aware of it and hopefully we can fix the issues soon going forwards. Then we can unlock a lot of performance from the car.”
With Pérez’s car issues now understood – and similarly experienced by his teammate, who risks losing his fourth World Championship to McLaren’s Lando Norris – Red Bull is actively working to improve the RB20.
While they do not seem to be an easy fix, this could buy Sergio Pérez further time to prove his abilities this season so that his desire to retire on his terms is fulfilled.
