Sergio Perez is waiting to discover whether or not he’s taken part in his final race as a Red Bull Racing driver.
The Abu Dhabi Grand Prix was the 24th and final race of the longest season in Formula 1 history.
It tested every driver’s stamina and concentration although Sergio Perez didn’t have to worry about that too much.
After advancing to Q3 on Saturday – but failing to make up any additional places – Perez was stuck in the middle of the pack on a circuit with several potential pinch points.
He had already witnessed his Red Bull teammate Max Verstappen sent spinning at the first corner after a misjudged attempt to overtake Oscar Piastri at the first corner, for which Verstappen apologised to Piastri after the race.
The 34-year-old was then the second Red Bull facing backwards on the opening lap, but he was much less at fault this time and unfortunately, suffered too much damage to continue.
Perez was despondent in the media pen after the race, and for the first time admitted that his future may not be as clear cut as he hoped.
A report from ESPN has outlined the potential scenario facing Perez should he lose his Red Bull seat.
While it may be disappointing for the Mexican, he may at least be well compensated should he take a step backwards.
How much Sergio Perez could earn in Red Bull ambassador role
The report from ESPN suggests that Perez’s agent Julian Jakobi held multiple meetings with Red Bull team principal Christian Horner during the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix weekend.
When speaking about his future, Perez said: “At the moment I don’t know.
“I just know I’ve got a contract to race this year unless something changes in the coming days that’s going to be the situation next year.
“We’re going to be talking in the coming days and we will discuss what’s the situation from both parties if we are able to reach an agreement. If not., like I say, I have a contact for next year.”
Perez was then asked if he plans to voluntarily walk away from Red Bull and he simply said: “No”.
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The report from ESPN went on to say that Red Bull is ‘willing’ to move Perez into a wider ambassador position.
Ricciardo received the same offer as Perez but turned it down to pursue any opportunities.
They go on to say that there wouldn’t be a ‘significant change’ to Perez’s current £6.25m-a-year salary if he does take up a new non-racing role.
The position would include a ‘handful of show runs around the world’ as well as making any ‘marketing appearances’ for Red Bull, although there’s not currently a timeline on any decision.
Sergio Perez the latest victim of being Max Verstappen’s teammate
Perez is a formidable driver and earned a seat at Red Bull for the 2021 season after a brilliant campaign with Racing Point.
However, the confidence has drained out of the Mexican since it became clear that he wasn’t able to maximise the performance from a difficult-to-drive RB20.
Christian Horner has admitted how hard it is for any driver to match Verstappen.
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He said in a pre-race press conference in Abu Dhabi: “I think probably being Max’s teammate’s the toughest drive in Formula 1 because he’s such a high standard, such a high bar.
“And his performances are just relentless.”
The 34-year-old has discovered that to his detriment and while Perez looks set to lose his race seat, it’s not officially confirmed just yet.
