Perez on his retirement: “I read that, it makes me laugh”
While rumors of retirement announcements surfaced following a very complicated Qatar Grand Prix, Sergio Perez wanted to dispel the rumors upon arriving in Austin.
He has been at the heart of discussions since mid-season but he sticks to his guns. During the traditional Thursday afternoon press briefing, the first question from the panel of journalists present around the table in the Red Bull hospitality area was obviously: « So, we have read that you are going to retire. »
The response came quickly, with a smirk: « Yes, I also read it. It just makes me laugh. I can’t do anything about it, except focus on my work. I have a contract for next year and I have no reason not to respect it. It won’t be my last contract in F1. »
But the Mexican admits nonetheless that his season is not living up to expectations, especially the last two races. « In particular, on these last two races, we were simply lost. We had good work days with my engineers to get back on the right track. »
If he seems to dismiss the possibility of leaving F1, it’s because he always declares himself driven by the prospect of returning to his top level : « It’s hard when you go through a bad time in your career. But I love the challenge of getting back to my best. It would be easier to leave. But that’s not me, I won’t give up. I have no doubt that I can return to my level. I don’t think about retirement at all because it would be too easy. »
When asked if he is 100% sure he will be present next year, he is categorical: « 100%. I have a contract and I am discussing with the team. I see no reason not to respect it. » History has however shown us that drivers who emphasize the fact that they have a contract to reinforce the message that they will certainly be there in the future tended to specifically no longer be present a few months later…
As surprising as it may seem, this is the first time in three seasons that the 33-year-old driver has spent three consecutive days in Milton Keynes, not only for simulator sessions but also for one-on-one meetings with his engineers: « It was important for us to understand how things could have gone so wrong. With the Sprint format, you can easily get lost and this is what happened to us in Qatar. »
No luck for him, Austin is also a Sprint weekend: « Of course it certainly doesn’t help when you don’t have full confidence in the car but it’s the same thing for everyone. I really hope that the work during the week will bear fruit. »
From our special correspondent in Austin
