Perez admits his Red Bull F1 future will be settled in the coming days

Sergio Perez has accepted for the first time that his Red Bull future is in doubt, admitting a meeting after the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix could bring an end to his Formula 1 career.

Until now, the Mexican has remained steadfast that he will keep his place at Red Bull next year despite a dismal season that has seen him finish a lowly eighth in the drivers’ championship.

Team principal Christian Horner has refused to confirm Perez’s position for 2025, even though a new contract was agreed between the team and the driver earlier in the season.

RB pair Liam Lawson and Yuki Tsunoda have both been linked with Perez’s seat, with reports over the past week suggesting the former is now set to be promoted to the flagship team.

Speaking after an early retirement at the season-ending Abu Dhabi Grand Prix having been hit by Valtteri Bottas, Perez conceded his future is up in the air.

“Well, at the moment, I don’t know. I just know I’ve got a contract to race next year. Unless something changes in the coming days, that’s going to be the situation for next year,” he said.

“I think at the moment, all I can say is I’ve got a contract, that I signed up in the middle of the year to race for the team for the next three years. So we’ll see what happens and how the conversation goes in the coming days. 

“Like I say, we’re going to be talking in a couple of days. We will discuss what is the situation for both parties and see if we’re able to reach an agreement. Like I say, I’ve got a contract for next year.”

Perez revealed that he had encountered a technical issue before his lap-one contact with Bottas and once again admitted he has failed to get the best out of the Red Bull this year, while team-mate Max Verstappen claimed a fourth consecutive drivers’ championship.

“The engine was damaged before the touch. Every time I changed the clutch, the clutch slipped, I think we had the problem before. Then came the contact, I don’t know who hit me in the back. When I recovered the car the clutch was stuck,” he said.

“I think it was a very complicated race, a complicated balance [of the year]. It makes a good summary of what has been this season. This end of the race is a good summary of the season.

“Undoubtedly, in the end we drivers depend a lot on our environment, on our car, how much you can get 100 percent out of it. This year I had a car that I could hardly get 100 percent consistently, it was very complicated throughout the year.”

Photos from Abu Dhabi GP Race