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September 24, 2024 (Tuesday) 19:21 pm
Sergio Perez (Red Bull) denied rumors about his retirement from F1. After Daniel Ricciardo was potentially removed from the RB lineup at the Singapore Grand Prix, rumors spread that Perez would lose his Red Bull seat, but Perez stated that he would stay in F1 for another two years, and emphasized that he was not swayed by contracts or rumors and wanted to decide his own future.
Red Bull advisor Dr. Helmut Marko said he had “never heard” any rumors of Perez’s retirement, and told Kleine Zeitung that “Perez’s wife is pregnant with their fourth child,” but denied any specific talk of retirement.
■ Decide when to retire yourself
But Perez said he’s not going anywhere.
“I will probably stay in F1 for at least another two years despite the demanding calendar of 24 races a year. I don’t see myself staying here for long,” Perez told Spanish sports newspaper Marca.
“Two years on a contract is a long time in F1, but I know it’s coming to an end.”
“I respect what Fernando Alonso has achieved at this age (43), but I don’t think I’ll be racing for as long as he has. It’s not that I don’t like it, but I have small children and I want to spend more time with them.”
All of Perez’s children are under the age of 7. When asked about retirement, Perez acknowledged:
“I thought about it a lot over the last six months, but the decision took me three seconds. In the end, after all these years, walking away – giving up – would have been the easiest step. But if I had done that, I would never have been able to forgive myself.”
“It’s been a tough year. The car has its limitations and it’s been tough not being able to say anything because my teammate is winning. Max (Verstappen) is driving really well and the gap between us is just getting bigger with every race.”
“I want to retire when I decide, not when someone else tells me to,” Perez stated.
“That’s my main goal. I want to decide my own future. In the end, people forget about the contract. I just signed the contract. Everyone talks a lot but I wasn’t worried because I knew the situation,” he said, showing his determination to keep fighting despite the tough circumstances of this season.
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