Perez to take six-month sabbatical earlier than deciding on F1 return try

Axed Purple Bull driver Sergio Perez will take at the least six months off racing in 2025 earlier than deciding whether or not he’ll even try and make a Components 1 comeback.

Perez’s F1 profession was dropped at a sudden halt on the finish of the 2024 season when Purple Bull determined to pay him not race within the upcoming marketing campaign after his prolonged string of poor performances final season.

These culminated in Purple Bull lacking the 2024 constructors’ championship title to associate with Max Verstappen’s fourth consecutive drivers’ crown – claimed within the different RB20 – and the group ultimately determined to not go forward with Perez’s two-year contract extension and as a substitute promote Liam Lawson in his place.

In his first public feedback since Purple Bull and Perez reached the settlement in mid-December 2024 which suggests he’ll spend the approaching interval on the F1 sidelines, Perez stated, “issues will are available their very own time” concerning his racing future.

“Within the subsequent six months I’ll decide on what’s subsequent for my profession,” added Perez, who was talking on the Feria de Leon occasion within the Mexican state of state of Guanajuato.

“I’m completely completely satisfied, and I’ll return to Components 1 if that’s what makes me happiest.”

Perez had insisted all through the top of the 2024 F1 season that he would honour his aspect of his anticipated take care of Purple Bull – a hardball negotiating tactic to make sure he would obtain a payoff to not race in 2025.

He subsequently stated he was additionally proud that he “by no means gave up” in through the run of races that adopted his now irrelevant contract extension, which was signed early final summer time.

“The vital factor is that I by no means gave up,” Perez stated. “Each time one thing tough occurred in my profession higher issues got here and that was as a result of I by no means gave up.

“I am very enthusiastic about what’s to return this yr and I am very calm and really completely satisfied.

“I’m actually having fun with my youngsters, my household, my pals. I’m lastly going to journey, as a result of in these years I travelled all around the world, however with out realizing it”.

If Perez doesn’t obtain an F1 return in 2026 – his Purple Bull exit coming in any case the opposite seats for the upcoming marketing campaign had already been crammed – he’ll finish his profession within the class with six wins and three poles from 281 begins.

Purple Bull has beforehand stated Perez will “nonetheless be concerned with the model and the group” – per group boss Christian Horner – in an off-track capability, though this seems but to take form as he was not sporting group package on the Leon competition.