F1 News: Sergio Perez Reveals Two 'Opportunities' To Leave Red Bull

Saajan Jogia | 9 Hours Ago

Oct 19, 2024; Austin, Texas, USA; Oracle Red Bull Racing driver Sergio Perez (11) of Team Mexico waves to the crowd during a fan forum before the Sprint Race in the 2024 Formula One US Grand Prix at Circuit of the Americas. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images / Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

Red Bull driver Sergio Perez has revealed two offers he received from other Formula 1 teams amid rumors of his axing from Red Bull where he struggles to meet Max Verstappen's dominant performance. While he refrained from naming the teams, Perez claimed he likes the challenge he faces at Red Bull as Verstappen's teammate.

The Mexican driver has faced a challenging 2024 season since his last podium finish in China. Despite securing a two-year contract extension with the Milton Keynes outfit, Perez was reportedly on the brink of being replaced just before the summer break. However, Red Bull ultimately chose to retain him, later discovering that the RB20’s balance issues were largely to blame for the performance struggles, as Verstappen’s pace had also taken a noticeable dip.

Perez endured media criticism amid ongoing speculation about his potential replacement by Daniel Ricciardo or Liam Lawson. Despite the persistent rumors and receiving two offers from rival F1 teams, the 34-year-old remained unfazed by the noise. Speaking up on why he chose to refuse them and stay with Red Bull, he told GQ:

"I had an opportunity, two opportunities, to change teams.

“When I looked at it, I thought, I really love the challenge I have at Red Bull. It’s a massive challenge being Max’s teammate. It’s a challenge that basically trains you for all of it. So I said, I want to spend my last part of my career at the top, at the very top, where the pressure, it’s full-on."

He added:

“At the end of the day, when you go through a difficult period, there is a lot of talk.

“But ultimately, there is 90 percent of the grid who would have loved to have my career.”

In the recent Sao Paulo Grand Prix, Perez was outperformed by potential successor Lawson, finishing outside the points in P11. Meanwhile, Verstappen showcased remarkable form, starting from P17 and taking victory with a lead of over 19 seconds over runner-up Esteban Ocon. Team principal Christian Horner noted that the race presented Red Bull a chance to close the gap to Ferrari and McLaren in the Constructors' Championship. He said:

“It was a difficult race for Checo, spinning at the beginning of the race drops him down.

“Today was an opportunity in the Constructors to take a big chunk out of both Ferrari and McLaren.

“Unfortunately, we’ve not been able to capitalise on that, so obviously that’s frustrating.

“But we’ll go away and have a look at it and come back hopefully fighting hard in Vegas.”

When asked if a Red Bull driver swap was imminent, Horner added:

“I think everything in life is subjective and you’ve got to look at the facts.

“We’re working hard with Checo, he had a chassis change this weekend. I thought he drove a good race yesterday, but today wasn’t his day.”