Sergio Perez is set for a showdown with Red Bull over his exit from the Formula 1 team after admitting they are discussing his future and insisting he will not resign.
Red Bull stakeholders are due to meet in the week after the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix to determine who should partner Max Verstappen in 2025, with it now an open secret in the F1 paddock that Red Bull wants to replace Perez.
Perez has finished a distant eighth in the championship despite team-mate Verstappen winning a fourth straight title, which caused Red Bull to slip to third in the constructors' standings. Liam Lawson and Yuki Tsunoda, who drive for Red Bull’s second team RB, are the candidates to be his successor.
Before Red Bull can proceed with finalising that, though, it must agree Perez’s exit given he has a deal running to the end of 2026.
Perez signed a new two-year contract only in June this year.
That came when his form started to dip after a strong start and it has nosedived since, with his lap-one exit from the Abu Dhabi finale – after contact with Valtteri Bottas – completing a miserable end to the season.
Although it has been clear for months that Perez’s seat was at risk, and become obvious in recent weeks that Red Bull was intending to replace him, Perez has repeatedly insisted that such speculation was wide of the mark and reiterated his certainty he would be on the grid.
Speaking after his Abu Dhabi GP prematurely ended, though, Perez’s stance changed for the first time, as he admitted they would “see if we are able to reach an agreement [and] if not, I’ve got a contract for next year”.
“We are talking,” Perez said.
“We try to see what's best moving forwards, and we'll see what happens in the coming days.”
Red Bull has made clear its preference for Perez to choose to retire. That would be by far the simplest and cheapest solution for the team, which tried to argue that it would save Perez face as well, instead of him being sacked.
But Perez has confirmed he has no intention of resigning. He also repeatedly referenced his contract and how if there is no common ground reached in the next few days, he expects to be racing next year.
Asked for his emotions after retiring from the race when this weekend took place against the backdrop of a desire to replace him, Perez said: “Well, at the moment, I don't know.
“I just know that I’ve got a contract to race next year, and unless something changes in the coming days, that's gonna be the situation for next year.”
This is the first time Perez has even hinted something could happen to keep him off the grid, but more importantly it makes it clear his position is to stand his ground and force Red Bull’s hand.
It is understood that during the talks so far, it has been made clear that Perez expects significant compensation to end his contract two years early.
Perez added: “All I can say is I’ve got a contract that I signed in the middle of the year to race for the team for the next two years.
“We’ll see what happens and how the conversation goes in the coming days.”