Father Perez: “My son will be with Red Bull for the next 2 years”
Sergio Perez’s father, Antonio Perez Garibay, has demanded that those who claimed he would retire from Formula 1 at the Mexican Grand Prix apologise to his son, saying “he will be here for the next two years”.
Coming to the end of what he called a “terrible season”, Perez’s place on the Formula 1 grid has been the subject of much speculation.
Ahead of the Mexican Grand Prix, rumours suggested Perez would announce his retirement at his home race, opting to leave on his own rather than be let go by Red Bull.
Respected F1 journalist Joe Saward has claimed that Red Bull and Perez have agreed on a plan that “will ensure a smoother exit than if he were sacked.” Saward also claimed that it would be less damaging to Red Bull’s sales in the Americas.
Perez responded to the claim on social media by sharing a clip from the movie “The Wolf of Wall Street,” in which lead actor Leonardo di Caprio repeats the phrase “I’m not leaving!”
Perez told the media, “For the last two years, someone has been spreading this rumor and everyone is taking it seriously.”
“I am aware that many of my fans, especially those who came to support me at the Mexican Grand Prix, expected something like this and because it is not true, I felt the need to say something about it.”
“I just think it’s not right to spread rumors without knowing the facts.”
The Mexican Grand Prix came and went without any explanation and now Perez’s father is demanding an apology.
“The media that said he’s not going to race in Mexico anymore, that he’s saying goodbye, should at least apologize,” Perez told the ESPN Racing podcast.
Despite claims that Liam Lawson or Franco Colapinto will replace the Mexican, Antonio Perez is confident that his son will not be dropped at the end of the season after signing a new two-year deal in May.
“He will be here for the next two years,” Antonio Perez said.
“He said it himself, he plans to retire with Red Bull and he has been given that opportunity.”
Perez denied claims that his son had not yet received the team’s latest base update and that Red Bull was taking sides, adding:
“Red Bull is the most professional team right now, a world champion team.”
“They are doing whatever it takes to come back, not only with Checo’s car but also with Max Verstappen’s car.”
“They are fighting for the championship. I think Max can be world champion again and Red Bull is preparing to be in the top three. The restructuring of Red Bull will happen at the end of the year.”
