Red Bull driver Sergio Perez has said he doesn’t expect to retire from Formula 1 when his current contract expires.
The Mexican joined Formula 1 in 2011, racing with Sauber in his debut season.
He was retained by the team for 2012 and was signed by McLaren the next year, replacing Sir Lewis Hamilton – who had joined Mercedes – as Jenson Button’s team-mate.
His spell at the Woking-based team was short, with him moving to Force India after just one year and staying on with the outfit as it was rebranded Racing Point in 2018.
It was announced in 2020 that Perez would be dropped by Racing Point, with Sebastian Vettel agreeing to join them from Ferrari in 2021.
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It looked as though he wouldn’t be a part of the 2021 Formula 1 grid, but after an extremely impressive season which saw him take his maiden F1 victory at the 2020 Sakhir Grand Prix, Perez was signed by Red Bull.
He had a relatively strong first year with the team, though he was comprehensively outpaced by Max Verstappen.
And, after winning the 2022 Monaco Grand Prix, Perez signed a contract extension that will see him stay at Red Bull until the end of next year.
Commenting on his future, Perez has said he expects to stay in the pinnacle of motorsport beyond 2023.
“I still have a contract until 2024 but I can’t imagine I will end my career then,” he said in an interview with Sport Bild.
“I’m too young for that and still having too much fun. Even if the sport takes up a lot of time. But that’s how it is. Formula 1 will be your life. And you can’t just leave that behind.”
However, Perez stressed that when it is time for him to retire from racing, “it won’t be difficult for me in the end.”
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Continuing, he stressed that there is more to life than racing, and said the happiest moments of his life have come outside of Formula 1.
“The best moments of my life have nothing to do with racing. For example, the birth of my children,” he said.
“But even the simple things mean a lot to me. If I can get a taco in Mexico for 20 pesos and spend time with my family, these are moments you don’t experience in Formula 1.”
Sergio Perez is currently third in the Drivers’ Standings, 85 points adrift of team-mate and championship leader Verstappen.