Perez explains why he wants to finish his F1 career at Red Bull as he reflects on new contract extension

Sergio Perez has voiced his hopes of eventually ending his career with Red Bull after signing a new two-year contract extension with the Milton Keynes-based outfit.

With his previous deal having been set to expire at the end of 2024, it was confirmed in the days ahead of this weekend’s Canadian Grand Prix that Perez will remain with the squad for a further two years, taking him through the 2026 season.

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Amid a busy driver market, Perez admitted in Canada that he was pleased his focus can now switch to on-track matters after sorting his plans.

“I think like every negotiation, you always have a process to go through, which is not always really nice to do it in-between the races where everything is flat-out,’ the 34-year-old said of the negotiations.

“It’s really nice to get this distraction for the team and for myself out of the way so that we can focus on pure performance, and I think that’s the best thing for our team.”

Reflecting further on the deal, Perez – who has raced for Red Bull since the 2021 season and scored five of his six career Grand Prix wins with the squad – spoke of his willingness to give “100 per cent” to the championship-winning team.

“I obviously feel happy [about the renewal],” he explained. “Once you get an agreement, it means that both parties are happy with what we’ve got and happy to move forwards. We’ve got great targets ahead of us.

“Red Bull, it’s a team that really takes everything out of you – it’s something that, since I came here, the amount of how intense everything is, on track, off track… It’s a challenge you don’t have anywhere else.

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“I haven’t had that sort of challenge in my career, so when I signed I’m really up for it and willing to give 100 per cent. It was a very straightforward negotiation. Obviously I’ve been in the team for a few years already, so when you are already there it’s a lot easier to reach an agreement.”

Pushed on whether he had spoken to other teams before signing his new contract extension, Perez responded: “You’re always talking to different teams, there were other options out there. But for me, my Plan A, B and C was definitely to stay at Red Bull.

“I really want to finish my career here, whenever that is. It’s a team that has given me so much that I’m just really happy. I give my best to this team, until my last lap.”

However, while he hopes to complete his time in Formula 1 with Red Bull, Perez – who will be nearly 37 by the time his new deal ends – says that he did not view his contract extension as his final one in the sport.

“Certainly when you look at Fernando [Alonso] or even Lewis [Hamilton], there’s a long way to go,” he commented. “I didn’t sign my last contract, I don’t feel like I’ve done that.

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"I don’t think it’s something that you feel, because when you commit to two years in Formula 1 it’s a lot of time, a lot of energy, and it’s a long way down the line, so to be honest I don’t really think about that. But what I’m pretty sure about is I want to finish my career at Red Bull.”

Perez is also looking forward to being a part of the team through to the introduction of new technical regulations in 2026.

“There are some great teams making a lot of progress, and we’ve got to do the same,” the six-time race winner said. “It’s always great to be part of a set of regulations with a team.

“When you’re changing regulations and you’re a part of that team, you’re already working on that, giving some ideas here and there, and it’s something really quite nice to have, to be able to be part of that.”