PEREZ :IN F1, I THINK ONCE YOU GO OUT, YOU MIGHT NEVER COME BACK

Sergio Perez has made very clear his desire to stay in Formula 1 after being dropped by Racing Point to accommodate Sebastian Vettel, but with opportunities with teams towards the front of the grid limited he has a huge amount to offer the struggling teams that have vacancies.

Haas team principal Guenther Steiner has confirmed Perez is among a list of “close to 10” candidates for his 2021 squad, which also includes Nico Hulkenberg as well as incumbent drivers Romain Grosjean and Kevin Magnussen.

Sergio Perez has ruled out the prospect of taking a sabbatical from Formula 1 next season if he is unable to land another drive.

Perez will make way for Sebastian Vettel as Racing Point becomes Aston Martin next season, but with the top drives all taken the Mexican appears to be left with a straight choice between Alfa Romeo and Haas.

Combined, the two teams have registered only five points in 2020, with Antonio Giovinazzi and Kimi Raikkonen both scoring two apiece for ninth-place finishes in Austria and Mugello respectively, while Kevin Magnussen bagged a single point for finishing 10th for Haas in Hungary.

Perez, however, has registered top-10 finishes in every race he has entered in the current campaign, amassing a total of 44 points.

“I think once you go out, you might never come back so if I take a sabbatical…I would rather retire first than take the sabbatical,” said Perez.

“I think everything is an option right now. My main target is to remain in F1. I feel that I am still very young and hungry.

“I want to carry on in Formula 1 but it has to be the right package, a package that gives me the maximum motivation to give 100% every single lap.”

After embarking on a long-term project with the team when it was originally known as Force India from 2014, Perez is hoping his next move will provide a similar challenge.

Primarily, Perez respects the fact that with the advent of new regulations from 2022, it offers a clean slate in many respects for all the teams.

“I think it is also going to be a long-term project targeting 2022 because I expect the rule changes to play a major effect,” added Perez.

“That’s the main reason I want to continue to 2022 is that I feel there would be plenty of opportunities. 2021 can be a difficult year in that regard, but you never know.

“There are certainly options out there and I don’t expect to make a decision any time soon. I will take the time that I require and if I don’t find anything attractive in F1, I will think about other series, other things. We will see.”

PEREZ :IN F1, I THINK ONCE YOU GO OUT, YOU MIGHT NEVER COME BACK PEREZ :IN F1, I THINK ONCE YOU GO OUT, YOU MIGHT NEVER COME BACK

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