Sergio Perez faced a challenging race in Qatar, spinning and damaging his clutch, which led to his retirement from the race. Speaking about his experience in Qatar, Perez shared his thoughts ahead of the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix: “In Qatar, first of all, we were not as aggressive as we should have been on the tuning side.”
Perez continued, “I didn’t expect this level of grip on the hard tyre. There was absolutely no grip, and I lost control of the car after that.” Reflecting on the missed opportunity, he added, “I think we could have been in the fight for the podium. It was definitely a difficult weekend in terms of pace, and unfortunately, we couldn’t get a good result.”
Despite the setbacks in Qatar, Perez emphasized the positive signs from recent races. “We’ve seen many good signs in the last few races, but for some reason, we can’t put it all together. So, I will continue to push in this last race to finish the season well because at the end of the day, it’s nice to get a good result.”
Asked about his focus ahead of the weekend, especially with meetings with the team, Perez responded, “I think the important thing for me is to focus on the weekend. To do my best for the team and to try to prove to the whole team that we can do it. I think that’s the main goal for the weekend.”
Regarding rumors about his future, Perez reiterated his commitment to Red Bull, saying, “In terms of what I have been saying all year, nothing has changed. I have a contract for next year and I will race for Red Bull next year.” He added, “I don’t have anything else to add. I have a contract for next year, so there’s nothing else to add.”
Perez also expressed his long-term intentions, saying, “I still feel like I have a few years left here, and I want to finish it with Red Bull.” He dismissed the rumors surrounding his position, stating, “I’m not interested in what’s being said. I’ve seen the rumors, but it’s nothing different than the last few months. I don’t have anything else to add on that.”
Finally, Perez reflected on the overall support from his team, noting, “The important thing is to stay together because, as I said, the decision was not very good, but at the end of the day, there is a reason why they renewed me. They know I can still do it, and that is an important factor.”
