Sergio Perez says it would be “nonsense” for him to think about the threat of Daniel Ricciardo replacing him at Red Bull in 2025.
Ricciardo will embark upon his full-time comeback to Formula 1 this weekend with AlphaTauri after it was confirmed early last week he would be taking the place of Nyck de Vries for the remainder of the year.
Along with Red Bull team boss Christian Horner, the Australian has confirmed he is targeting a return to the Red Bull seat that he vacated at the conclusion of 2018.
With reigning World Champion Max Verstappen tied down to the Austrian outfit through 2028, Perez, who only upholds a contract until the end of next year, retains the position Ricciardo will be aiming to take.
Perez, however, is not bothering with the speculation surrounding his Red Bull future, insisting that his sole focus remains on improving his current performance.
“No, I’m not a guy… I’ve been in F1 for 13 years so I’m not a guy who thinks so much further ahead,” he said. “I’ve been with the engineers, I don’t even have the time to discuss what’s going on with Daniel. I think it’s a great opportunity for him, and that’s it.
“I’m focusing on Hungary and then Belgium and not really thinking about 2025, you know? It’s such a far world ahead, it’s nonsense to think that far away.”
The rumours surrounding Ricciardo potentially being lined up to replace Perez in the future have come amidst a disastrous slump in form for the Mexican.
Since taking pole position in Miami at the end of May, Perez has failed to progress to Q3 in the past five rounds and he has only scooped a solitary podium during that time.
But Perez asserts he’s not worried by his struggles over a single lap, contending that his worrying trend of results hasn’t derived from a lack of speed on his side.
“No it’s not a concern,” he conveyed. “I think when you look at those bad qualifyings, there’s always been a different situation, external situation, that we haven’t dealt as good as we should have dealt with them.
“There’s always been some external factor. It hasn’t been pure pace, put it that way.”
Sergio Perez (MEX) Red Bull Racing RB19. 08.07.2023. Formula 1 World Championship, Rd 11, British Grand Prix, Silverstone, England, Qualifying Day.
Perez has tended to encounter issues predominantly when rain has been in the air, resulting in the six-time F1 race winner losing confidence inside his RB19 car.
However, the 33-year-old reveals that he has been working tirelessly with his engineers in the break since the last round and is hopeful of a stronger run this weekend.
“The deficit that I’ve been experiencing with the car in the last few races, whenever there is a change in condition, it tends to get wider,” he acknowledged.
“This limit, let’s put it that way. That’s been something that has caught us out.
“I think the last five races really have been some change in conditions in qualifying. That has really put us on the back foot for it.”
He added: “We’ve been doing some good work with the engineers over the week.
“We have some ideas for here, and hopefully we are able to just feel just in general have a better platform where we can be more comfortable, and if there is a change in conditions, then we don’t have such a difference.”
Perez’s attempts to finally rectify his recent qualifying troubles will be complicated this weekend by the trial running of the Alternative Tyre Allocation system.
Previously set to be tested at the cancelled Imola event, the ATA rules will mandate that all 20 participants run the Hard tyre in Q1, the 15 drivers in Q2 the medium compound, before those in Q3 will get the opportunity to run the grippiest available Soft rubber.
Perez, though, is not concerned by the prospect of that alteration or the Sprint weekend format in Belgium next weekend impacting his recovery bid.
“We are… we work in F1. We must deliver at all times, in all circumstances,” he declared.
“It doesn’t matter. We understand. It’s not like we cannot do it. I’ve proven before we can do it. I think I have full support from the team. It’s just time, I think.”
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