Red Bull's Pérez: No Threat as He Eyes Comeback

Pérez remains bullish, dismissing summer exit rumours as he gears up for a season turnaround.

Sergio Pérez has dismissed suggestions he was on the verge of losing his seat this summer, despite persistent rumours to that effect in Belgium. The Red Bull driver clarified that a meeting scheduled for Monday, which the team subsequently commented on to confirm his retention, was not crucial for his future.

“It was mainly pure speculation. I believe the meeting had nothing to do with the driver lineup. It was solely about performance. I think I’ve already said all there is to say about the speculation,” Pérez stated.

“I am fully committed to the team. I have a contract for the next two years and am fully dedicated to Red Bull, to turning things around, and I’ve said all I need to say. My season can still change, and we’ll assess things in Abu Dhabi. I have ten races to do that.”

Max Verstappen expressed satisfaction that Pérez was retained, acknowledging the stakes: “Of course, I’m glad he’s still here. I get along very well with Checo. So, I’m also happy for him that these kinds of doubts may have been dispelled. For my part, I’m focused on improving the car and the performance.”

“That’s what I’ve been thinking about. I also speak to the team about how we can progress. So that’s my concern. At the same time, people of course talk about other things, the other driver, but that’s not my domain. I’m just happy to be back here and focusing on driving.”

Pérez, meanwhile, is pleased to have benefited from the four-week break: “It was a very positive break for Red Bull; we managed to uncover quite a few things that at least let us know where we stand with the car at the moment.”

“There were one or two tweaks that probably led us astray, and I think looking back now, we know exactly how the car works, which is a very good thing.”

“It wasn’t very clear in the last few races. Now, whether we can fix the problem and return to the level we had before is another question.”