Sergio Perez says his collision with Valtteri Bottas in Abu Dhabi ‘sums it up’ as he admits uncertainty around his future

Sergio Perez had a race to forget at the season closer in Abu Dhabi as he was forced to retire early on, leaving him to lament his “very difficult year” that has cast doubt on his future with Red Bull.

The Mexican driver signed a contract extension to stay with the Milton Keynes outfit until 2026 back in June, but an unrelenting period of poor results has thrown his place on the grid into jeopardy.

While his team mate Max Verstappen secured his fourth consecutive world championship, Perez ended the season 285 points behind him, with no top-five finishes since the Miami Grand Prix back at the beginning of May.

After continuously targeting a change in his fortunes, he started the finale at the Yas Marina Circuit from 10th on the grid, but his race quickly came to an end after he came into contact with the Sauber of Valtteri Bottas.

‘It’s been a very difficult year’ – Perez addresses his Red Bull future after DNF in Abu Dhabi

Perez spun and became stranded on track, bringing out a Virtual Safety Car as he retired from his second race in a row to once again leave Verstappen as Red Bull’s sole points scorer.

“It’s been so difficult the whole year,” the 34-year-old replied when asked about the collision. “That really just sums it up. It was very unfortunate I got hit by Bottas there.

“That was really difficult, what happened there unfortunately. From then on, we can just look forwards. It’s been a very, very difficult year.”

There has been speculation that the team could promote one of their drivers from RB – Yuki Tsunoda or Liam Lawson – for next season, but Horner insisted earlier this week that a decision will only be made following extensive conversations within the team.

Sergio Perez of Mexico and Oracle Red Bull Racing and race engineer Hugh Bird look on in the garage prior to the F1 Grand Prix of Abu Dhabi at Yas Marina Circuit on December 08, 2024 in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. (Photo by Mark Thompson/Getty Images) — Perez scored his lowest points total since he drove for Racing Point in 2020

Now that the season has concluded, those debates will likely take place sooner rather than later, especially after Red Bull lost out on a shot at the constructors’ title and were forced to settle for third – their lowest position since 2019.

Perez said: “I think we know how difficult this year has been so I think it’s just a matter of discussing what’s best for everyone going forwards. We’ll see what happens.”

Pushed on whether he will definitely have a seat on the grid next year, he added: “At the moment, it’s all I know. I’ve got a contract to drive next year so it will be down to reaching an agreement hopefully. See what the team wants to do.”