Red Bull F1 News: Sergio Perez admits contract 'distractions' after huge decision

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F1 News & Gossip

Perez admits Red Bull contract 'distractions' after huge decision

The Mexican will stick with the team through the new rules

Chris Deeley Editor

Experienced sports writer covering F1 and other motorsports since 2023

Friday 7 June 2024 11:59 Updated: 15:28

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Sergio Perez has opened up on the process behind his new contract with Red Bull, admitting that the rumours around his future have been distracting.

The Mexican has been under pressure for much of the last year, with team-mate Max Verstappen comfortably outperforming him on the track, but had been rewarded with a deal through the end of the 2026 season.

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One of last season's three race winners, with Verstappen and Carlos Sainz, Perez has been criticised for failing to provide a true title challenge to his team-mate in matching equipment.

The second Red Bull driver talked about the process leading to his new deal in an FIA press conference before the Canadian Grand Prix.

Perez: Contract negotiations were not nice

Speaking in the pre-race weekend press conference, Perez said of his talks with Red Bull: "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.

"So 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. Adding to his thoughts on the team's future, specifically regarding the upcoming regulation changes in 2026, he added: "Well, I think, like you say, there are some great teams making a lot of progress and we've got to do the same.

"I think it's always great to be part of a set of regulations with the team, you know, when you're changing regulations and you're 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."