'I know what I'm capable of. It's easy for people to speak...': Sergio Perez' blunt response on Red Bull future

Sergio Perez has one year left on his current contract with Red Bull. The Mexican racer’s future at Red Bull seemed uncertain after team adviser Helmut Marko told Kleine Zeitung, “Nothing is 100 percent certain in Formula 1, it just doesn’t exist. There are always performance-related situations somewhere that need to be discussed. We’ll take a look and discuss how to proceed in Zandvoort, then we’ll know more.” Marko’s comments sparked a buzz and Perez has now talked about his future at Red Bull.

“Obviously, you always want to prove yourself – it's a game to yourself. I haven't really, to be honest, read what people say or have to say about myself or my career or whatever. I know what I'm capable of, I've done it before and not that long ago – it was only a few months ago. But people, when they're not here, it's very easy for them to speak out and it's something that is very understandable. It's how most sports work. But I think as an athlete, it's important to be able to disconnect from that and make sure that you do what is best for you,” Perez was quoted as saying by Mirror.

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Sergio Perez claimed that he is currently focused on producing his best. “I'm just focusing on what I can do best, focusing on enjoying the moment, and that's [where] all my focus and all my energy [is],” he said.

Perez is currently in his third season at Red Bull. The 33-year-old racer has so far emerged victorious twice in the current Formula One season. Perez did have a commendable first five races but he failed to carry forward the momentum. His teammate and Formula One runaway leader Max Verstappen, on the other hand, has 11 race victories to his name out of 13. Many feel that the gap between Verstappen and Perez has forced Red Bull to put pressure on the Mexican racer in recent times.

Sergio Perez is currently placed at the second spot in the Drivers’ Championships standings. The Mexican trails defending champion Max Verstappen by a whopping margin of 138 points. At the Dutch Grand Prix, Perez earned a fourth-placed finish. A late penalty at Monza had damaged his chances of earning a podium finish. Perez had to face the brunt of extreme weather conditions as he crashed twice at the end of the race.

Perez arrived at Red Bull as Verstappen’s teammate in 2020. With this he became the very first racer to join Red Bull from outside their young driver programme since 2007.