FEBRUARY 16, 2024

Perez eyes a few more years at Red Bull

As the early 2025 'silly season' ignites all around him, Sergio Perez says he wants to stay at Red Bull for "a few more years".

The Mexican has often struggled to keep up with teammate Max Verstappen since joining the energy drink-owned Formula 1 team in 2021.

His latest contract expires at the end of this year, and multiple drivers including Daniel Ricciardo are tipped to replace him for 2025.

However, the 'silly season' of musical chairs in F1 has utterly exploded since Lewis Hamilton dropped the bombshell news of his move next year to Ferrari.

Most drivers will want to decide on their contracts as early as possible, Perez, 34, said at the launch of Red Bull's 2024 car on Thursday.

Perez admits he made certain mistakes last year in particular, but he says he has learned from them.

I'm focused on having a successful season, and everything else will work out by itself. As long as you show results on the track, there are no problems, he said.

Red Bull admits it has options for 2025, but the team is also not ruling out retaining Perez if the results justify it.

I'm not bothered by all sorts of rumours, Perez said. "I've been in this business for many years, so I know how everything works.

"Now all these rumours bother me much less than before. It's going to be a very busy start to the season, so I'm still focused on the first races and haven't thought about long-term plans.

Thinking and talking about the future will drain my energy, and I don't want to be distracted. I'm driving for a great team. Ideally I would like to spend a few more years at Red Bull.

(GMM)