Red Bull team principal Christian Horner claims Sergio Perez chose “to take a bit of time out” from Formula 1, despite the driver insisting he intended to continue racing.
Perez repeatedly stated he had a contract to race for Red Bull for another two seasons and had no intention of leaving right up until the season-closing Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, when he acknowledged that talks had been planned relating to his future. After the announcement that an agreement has been reached between Perez and Red Bull for him to leave the team with immediate effect, Horner said the departure was instigated by the Mexican.
“It’s been a culmination of things,” Horner told ESPN. “Checo started the season so strongly, four podiums out of five races. It felt like he’d taken off where he left off last year.
“But then really from Monte Carlo, that race onwards, it has been a very tough year for him and we’ve tried everything with him and supporting him and basically he has come to his own conclusion that I think that now is the right time to step away from Formula 1 to take a bit of time out.”
Sources close to Perez refute Horner’s claims, but the Red Bull team principal also states his belief that the 34-year-old might not return to F1, with no race seats available in 2025 outside of the Red Bull set-up.