Sergio Perez has revealed that he already knew Red Bull would keep him.
Perez had signed a one-year deal for the 2021-22 season, after his stint at Racing Point. He has had a solid, but unspectacular season. One race win has boosted his credentials, but consistency is something he hasn’t maintained.
There was speculation over the Mexican’s future as F1 headed into the summer break. However, all of that has been put to rest, with Red Bull announcing his stay for the next season. Perez then revealed later that he already knew Red Bull would keep him.
As reported by Planet F1, Perez said, “I went into the summer break knowing what I was going to do.
“But obviously, everyone went on holiday, so it took us longer for it to be ready. I signed on Friday, once everyone was back, and yeah, we committed a long time ago.
“It was a couple of races already ago that Helmut (Marko) and Christian (Horner) told me that they’re very happy to keep me, and that I shouldn’t be looking anywhere else. They wanted to continue with me, and vice-versa, so it was just clear for both sides that we wanted to continue.”
New hopes
Perez is excited about his fresh start, and has vowed to do better next season.
“It is a massive opportunity, and next year, everyone starts from zero,” Checo said.
“There is no secret that I have been struggling with the car at times to get the maximum, so right now, I can think with the bigger picture in mind, getting some other things that can influence next year’s car. So definitely it is a big opportunity.”
Perez sits in P5, behind McLaren’s Lando Norris and Mercedes’ Valtteri Bottas.