Sergio Perez says it is a “matter of time” before rumours linking Sebastian Vettel with Racing Point “go away”, stressing that he will continue at the team into 2021.
Perez last year extended his deal with Racing Point through 2022 but speculation has persisted that four-time champion Vettel could join the team.
Vettel will leave Ferrari at the end of the campaign and has yet to determine his plans, suggesting that staying in Formula 1, taking a sabbatical, or retiring altogether remain options.
With Mercedes retaining Valtteri Bottas, Red Bull ruling out Vettel, and McLaren and Renault confirming its line-up, it has left Racing Point as Vettel’s most likely option.
But Perez has insisted that he is planning for a long-term future with Racing Point.
“On the rumours with Sebastian, there’s nothing I can do,” said Perez.
“What I’ve heard from the team that we all want to keep going, to continue.
“So I believe it’s just a matter of time before those rumours can go away.”
On whether he had held discussions with rival teams, Perez replied: “Not really given that my position with the team looks quite secure and it’s the feeling that I’ve been getting.
“We’re fully on this package and we want to continue as well.”
Perez will return to Formula 1 action at this weekend’s Spanish Grand Prix after missing the back-to-back events at Silverstone when he tested positive for Covid-19.
“I was extremely lucky not to have any big symptoms other than a little bit of a headache,” said Perez.
“One or two days, I felt very tired but at the same time you feel like that when you spend so much of your time on your own. I couldn’t leave the room so I was basically on lockdown for 10 days. That was the only feeling.
“I was actually training at the apartment I was at. I was trying to keep fit.
“There was a chance I could have raced in the second Silverstone race, if I tested negative, unfortunately that didn’t happen. Now finally, I am free to race again.”
