Sergio Perez has prolonged his contract with Pink Bull by two years, which is able to see him proceed racing for the System 1 world champions till the top of the 2026 season.
The 34-year-old Mexican has been Max Verstappen’s teammate since becoming a member of them in 2021.
Perez’s restoration ends the hopes of a number of drivers – together with Carlos Sainz and Daniel Ricciardo – to hitch the workforce, which has dominated System One for the previous two years and continues to guide each world championships in 2024, regardless of the elevated challenges from rivals.
“Now is a crucial time to verify our workforce for 2025 and we’re very happy to proceed our partnership with Checo,” mentioned workforce principal Christian Horner in a transfer forward of this weekend’s Canadian Grand Prix.
“Continuity and stability are essential to the workforce and each Cheka and Max have been a profitable and powerful partnership, delivering our first ever one-two end for the workforce within the Championship final yr.”
Perez, who has received 5 of his six profession F1 races with Pink Bull and helped them win the constructors’ championship in 2022 and 2023, mentioned: “I’m delighted to be staying right here to proceed our journey collectively and contribute to a fantastic story this workforce for 2 extra years.
“Being a part of a workforce is a large problem and I find it irresistible. We’ve got a giant problem forward of us this yr and I’ve full confidence in the entire workforce that we’ve got a vivid future and I am excited to be part of it.”
Verstappen’s contract with Pink Bull runs till the top of the 2028 season, though there was hypothesis that the three-time world champion might go away sooner or later earlier than that, with Mercedes’ Toto Wolff making public his critical curiosity in signing the Dutchman to interchange Lewis, who arrived in Ferrari. Hamilton.
Why Peres two extra years?
Whereas it has grow to be more and more clear in latest weeks that Perez is closing in on a 2025 contract extension, the announcement of a two-year deal nonetheless comes as a shock.
It means Perez may also stay within the first yr of huge new modifications to System 1 guidelines, when Pink Bull will develop its personal engine for the primary time.
With the Pink Bull 2024 automobile as soon as once more dominant within the opening races of the yr, Perez has made a powerful begin to the season, ending second to Verstappen in three of the primary 4 Grands Prix of the season.
However Ferrari and McLaren specifically have closed the hole on Pink Bull since, with Perez failing to complete on the rostrum within the final three races – and failing to qualify within the high 10 within the final two.
After crashing out of Q1 final outing in Monaco, Perez was concerned in an enormous crash on the opening lap of the race after contact with Kevin Magnussen’s Haas.
Perez slipped out of the highest 4 within the drivers’ championship underneath Verstappen behind Ferrari and McLaren’s Land Norris
Horner referred to the Mexican’s latest dip in kind in Pink Bull’s assertion confirming the prolonged deal, though he backed Perez in response.
“Cheka began 2024 properly with second locations in Bahrain, Saudi Arabia and Japan, adopted by a podium in China,” Horner added.
“The previous few races have been robust, there’s some convergence on the grid, however we’re assured in Checo and stay up for him returning to the confirmed kind and efficiency we see so usually.”
Perez added: “We’ve got a giant problem this yr and I’ve full confidence in the entire workforce that we’ve got a vivid future and I am comfortable to be part of it.
“I need to thank everybody for the belief they put in me, it is so much and I need to repay it with nice outcomes each on and off the observe. I feel we’ve got a whole lot of work to do, we’ve got much more championships to win collectively.”
Though Verstappen has completely dominated the conflict together with his teammates – Perez final handed the Dutchman in qualifying 26 races in the past, on the 2023 Miami Grand Prix – Pink Bull was proud of the standard harmonious dynamic throughout the workforce between the drivers in a interval of gorgeous workforce success.
Perez famously performed a key function within the title decider in Abu Dhabi in 2021, holding off race chief Hamilton halfway by means of the race, earlier than a controversial Security Automobile consequence that finally swung the title to Verstappen.
What does this imply for the remainder of the motive force market?
Sainz, who misplaced his place at Ferrari to Hamilton, appeared in rivalry to return to the Pink Bull steady after a profitable begin to the season, however their resolution to stay with Perez seems to have turned the Spaniard’s 2025 resolution right into a head-to-head competitors between Williams and Sauber, who grow to be Audi by 2026.
Following his personal return to Pink Bull final yr, first as third driver earlier than taking the race seat at RB, Ricciardo has described it as his “dream” to return to the senior workforce he left of his personal volition in 2018. .
Nevertheless, Ricciardo’s bid to interchange Perez has been overturned by the type of RB team-mate Yuki Tsunoda, who has to date outplayed the skilled Australian. Regardless of this way, Tsunoda himself was by no means thought-about a candidate for Pink Bull’s essential workforce.
Sky Sports activities F1 – Canadian Grand Prix reside schedule
Thursday, June 6
19.30: drivers’ press convention
Friday, June 7
18:00: Canadian GP first follow (session begins at 6:30 p.m)
8:00 p.m.: The F1 Present
21.45: Second follow of the Canadian Grand Prix (session begins at 10 p.m)
Saturday, June 8
17.15: third follow of the Canadian Grand Prix (starting of the session at 17.30)
20:00: Qualifying for the Canadian Grand Prix
21:00: Canadian Grand Prix qualifying
11:00 p.m.: Ted’s qualifying pocket book
Sunday, June 9
5:30 p.m.: Grand Prix Sunday – Canadian Grand Prix build-up
19:00: CANADIAN GRAND PRIX
21:00: Checkered flag – Canadian GP response
10:00 p.m.: Ted’s pocket book
System 1 leaves Europe for the final time earlier than the summer season break when the championship strikes to Montreal for the Canadian Grand Prix. Watch each session on the Gilles Villeneuve circuit this weekend reside on Sky Sports activities F1, with Sunday’s race at 7pm. Stream each F1 race and extra with NOW Sports activities Month membership – no contract, cancel anytime