Sergio Perez says it is too soon for him to know if he will return to Formula 1 in future after his unexpected departure from Red Bull at the end of 2024.
Red Bull announced Perez was leaving the team just over a week after the end of last season following a disappointing year that yielded only four podiums. At the time, team principal Christian Horner claimed it was Perez’s decision to take a break from F1, and while the Mexican says he will take time to analyze his next move, he suggests he was not the one initially looking to make a change.
“Honestly, I don’t know,” Perez said at the Leon State Fair. “It’s too early to tell you, to have an answer. Everything happened very quickly at the end of the season, so I didn’t expect it.
“Now I’m in an incredible, dreamy position, which I didn’t even realize I was in, so if you ask me now, I don’t know. I’m very happy with my life, very excited about what’s ahead.
“For sure, if I receive a good, interesting project, then I’ll definitely consider it and think about it. It will all come in its own time. For now, my priority in the months ahead is to have fun, do what I haven’t been able to, travel, be with my family…
“In the next six months I’ll make a decision on what I want for the next step of my career.”
Now not preparing for the start of a new Formula 1 season, Perez admits he is enjoying his newfound freedom and wants to make the most of not being tied to such an intense schedule in 2025.
“It’s incredible, especially at this time of year when you’re already thinking about the season and you can’t do anything anymore. It’s really cool because I’ve been doing this all my life. I’ve been in Formula 1 for 14 year and before that, I’ve been racing since I was six years old.
“So this is my first year since I can remember where I can decided what to do. It can be different plans, I can go [somewhere], I can confirm a trip, I can go with my family and my children wherever I want. So the truth is it’s something that I’m enjoying a lot, and I’m really looking forward to what’s coming this year.
“The truth is that I am very calm, very happy, enjoying time with my children a lot, with my family, with my friends. And I think that I’m finally going to travel because in all these years I’ve traveled all over the world, but without knowing it. And so now I’m really looking forward to traveling, to getting to know different places, to do things that I haven’t done for a long time.”
