Sergio Perez is adamant that he wants to conclude his Formula 1 career on his own terms as the current Red Bull driver acknowledged that “the end is getting closer”.
Perez has reiterated on several occasions that he holds a desire to see Red Bull, whom he has driven for since 2021, be the final team that he represents in the series.
But although he retains a contract through 2026, Perez’s struggles this season have seen consistent rumours swirl that Red Bull could look to replace him before that.
The speculation hit an all-time high prior to the summer break when a tumultuous run which comprised 28 points in eight rounds saw his place at Red Bull discussed.
However, Perez was insistent that he would remain alongside Max Verstappen in the RB20 and his conviction would ring true as Red Bull opted to not make a change.
Perez, though, has conceded there have been brief moments in recent times where he has contemplated calling it quits amid the mounting pressure on his shoulders.
“These past six months I did think about it [retirement], but it took me three seconds to make the decision,” Perez told DAZN.
“In the end, it would be the easy route, after so many years to quit and kind of give up. I would never have forgiven myself for that.”
Perez, a six-time F1 race winner, has insisted that he wishes to avoid the situation that Daniel Ricciardo encountered this week and depart the sport when he decides.
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“I want to finish my career when I want and not when someone tells me,” he continued. “That’s my main focus: to get to the point where I can decide my future.
“For now I am very motivated, to be honest, I really want to continue in F1. I enjoy it. Especially the good times you enjoy, but you also learn to enjoy the bad ones.”
Perez suggests latest F1 deal will be his last
However, Perez has admitted that the clock has started ticking on his F1 career as he suggested that his current contractual terms could constitute a fitting endpoint.
“For now I have two more years on my contract, and two years in F1 is a long time, but I know that the end is getting closer,” he added.
Perez has expressed that the aspiration to watch his children grow up acts as an overriding part of his desire to not continue racing into his 40s like Fernando Alonso.
“I don’t see myself racing here like Fernando for example, whom I admire greatly for everything he does at his age,” he explained.
“It’s not that I wouldn’t like to, but because I have small children and I want to spend a lot more time with them. At the end of the day, they will be the limiting factor.”
Has the F1 calendar expanded too much?
Meanwhile, the Mexican also highlighted the F1 calendar’s expansion to a record 24 rounds as a factor which has made him hold reservations about his F1 prospects.
“With 24 races a year, the calendar is already complicated, but I will be here for at least two more years,” he added.
“However, I don’t see myself in Formula 1 for much longer.”
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