Red Bull F1 driver Sergio Perez responded to increasing rumors concerning his separation from Red Bull Racing after the end of the 2023 season.
Sergio Perez has been under constant fire lately as his performance has not been totally up to the excellent standard of his teammate, three-time World Champion Max Verstappen.
Former F1 driver and World Champion Nico Rosberg said the gap between Verstappen and Perez is "extreme" after the 2023 Qatar Grand Prix, during which Perez got lapped by his teammate at one point.
Red Bull Racing team principal Christian Horner said Checo "urgently needs to get back into shape," and his close colleague and Red Bull advisor Helmut Marko most recently said Perez "needs a change in climate and team."
Maybe it is also this ever-increasing pressure that weighs on the Mexican driver. However, Perez recently addressed rumors about his separation from Red Bull; according to lastwordonsports.com, the Mexican driver said recently:
"Well, right now, I have a contract for next year. And it will be important to have a good year. I have the motivation to continue, and I want to stay for more years. Because I believe that I still have a lot to give in Formula 1, I would like to stay in F1 for at least 3-4 more years."
Checo seems to be confident that his contract is still valid until the end of the next season. On the other hand, we have seen various instances in the past where F1 teams decided to terminate their contracts with drivers earlier than expected.
Daniel Ricciardo and McLaren can serve as an example. After an unsuccessful 2022 season full of underwhelming performances from the Australian driver, McLaren decided to terminate his contract before the 2023 season and had to pay Ricciardo $21 million.
This decision to replace Ricciardo, however, turned out well for McLaren as his substitute Oscar Piastri has been an equal match to Lando Norris throughout the 2023 season and managed to win a sprint race during the 2023 Qatar Grand Prix.
This recent example could inspire the Red Bull Racing team to replace Perez after the 2023 season if his performances don't improve. The Mexican driver has five weekends left to show Red Bull he deserves his seat for the next season.