Pérez: I rejected two offers to leave Red Bull
Sergio Pérez revealed that he turned down opportunities from two Formula 1 teams to remain with Red Bull for the 2025 season. Despite facing significant scrutiny and dropping to eighth in the drivers' standings, Pérez chose to stay with Red Bull, a team where his partner Max Verstappen is closing in on a fourth consecutive championship.
Pérez, who signed an extension earlier this year, has been under fire as the team's performance has waned, with Red Bull falling to third in the constructor standings and Pérez himself amassing only 48 points over the past 15 races. In an interview with GQ, Pérez explained his decision to stay: "I had an opportunity, two opportunities, to change teams. When I looked at it, I thought, I really love the challenge I have at Red Bull. It's a massive challenge being Max's teammate. It's a challenge that basically trains you for all of it. So, I said I want to spend my last part of my career at the top, at the very top, where the pressure, it's full-on."
Team principal Christian Horner has openly criticized Pérez's form this season, and there have been calls for Red Bull to replace the 34-year-old driver next season. Young drivers like Liam Lawson and Franco Colapinto have been mentioned in various rumors. However, Pérez remains unfazed by the speculation. "It's how the sport is. You have one, two bad races, a lot of negative talk about you and so on," Pérez told GQ. "But it's also something in the culture of the team as well -- with Red Bull. The surrounding talk, the contract talks and so on. It's just part of the game."
Pérez has not secured a win this season, with his most recent podium finish dating back to China in April. With only three races remaining, he trails Lewis Hamilton by 39 points and George Russell by 41 in the standings. Red Bull is 13 points behind Ferrari and 49 points behind McLaren in the constructor standings.
Reflecting on his career and the challenges of F1, Pérez said, "At the end of the day, when you go through a difficult period, there is a lot of talk. But ultimately, there is 90 percent of the grid who would have loved to have my career. When you are a driver, you only think about the next race -- the next challenge, the next category, the next contract. It's always about next, next, next. Sometimes it's good to step back out of it and remember how far you've gone. It's a very brutal sport."
Pérez remains focused on ending the season strong and proving his worth within one of the most high-pressure environments in motorsport.
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