Perez admits possibility of seeking new team after 2024 Red Bull contract expires

Sergio Perez has openly acknowledged the possibility that he may have to search for a new team in 2024, despite having a contract in place with Red Bull for that season.

This admission comes after recent warnings from Red Bull advisor Dr. Helmut Marko that Perez's spot is not guaranteed next year following a dip in form.

In an interview with Spanish broadcaster DAZN at the Italian Grand Prix, Perez revealed he could look elsewhere if he feels he cannot contribute sufficiently at Red Bull.

“If that place for 2024 is not here, we will have to look around for other alternatives,” said the Mexican.

Perez secured a contract extension with the Milton Keynes squad in May that runs until the end of 2024.

However, Marko has since cast doubt on the 33-year-old's future, stating Perez has no concrete "job guarantee" for even 2024 after underperforming relative to teammate Max Verstappen.

According to Perez, the criticism from Marko was a result of mistakes he made this season as the RB18 evolved.

He struggled to adapt as well as Verstappen when upgrades were introduced.

"When the improvements have come, I had to think too much as I was driving, and when you’re doing that it’s of course not as easy as when you’re on automatic with your car," Perez explained.

He went on to describe the difficulties of being measured against Verstappen, who Perez believes is currently performing at a level unseen in F1 during his tenure.

"Max is driving at a level that I haven’t seen in F1 since I’ve been here. He doesn’t make mistakes, and he really pushes the limit all the time," he remarked.

Perez has come close to matching Verstappen at times this season, securing four podiums to his teammate's eleven.

A crucial victory in Monaco showed his potential. However, Perez says consistently reaching Verstappen's stratospheric level has proven extremely challenging.

Nonetheless, there are signs Perez may be turning a corner after bagging third place at Monza last Sunday. He feels the poor run of form is behind him now.

"I think we are going to have a good end to the year. I have gotten quite close to Max but I think at the moment he is on fire with the car and I have not been," commented Perez.

With eight races remaining in 2023 for Perez to showcase his ability, his priority is contributing to more Red Bull points and podiums.

But he admits the pressure-cooker environment as Verstappen's teammate has presented difficult moments.