Sergio Perez's Chances Of F1 Return Are 'Extinguished' According To Former Champion

Formula 1 champion Jacques Villeneuve believes Sergio Perez's chances of returning to the premier class of motorsport have been "extinguished" and thus, he should now focus on enjoying life. Perez was ousted from Red Bull after the 2024 Abu Dhabi season finale for underperformance.

Perez struggled throughout the year with his performance, despite securing a Red Bull contract extension for two years in May. While balance problems on the RB20 F1 car did hinder his pace to an extent, the performance gap between him and his teammate Max Verstappen caused Red Bull to lose the two top spots in the Constructors' Championship to McLaren and Ferrari.

As a result, the Mexican driver was dropped by the Milton Keynes outfit, with reserve driver Liam Lawson taking over his seat. Villeneuve had previously believed Perez’s F1 career was over after his time with Racing Point from 2014 to 2020, but his selection by Red Bull reignited his motivation, enabling him to extend his career for an additional four years. However, the 1997 world champion thinks Perez's F1 career has ended. He told Action Network:

"Sergio Perez should take the money and enjoy life.

"F1 is done. He'll never get back. He was actually done and then Red Bull took him.

"And when Red Bull took him, that gave him a little spark, that gave him the hunger that made him for a couple of years go much better than he had been.

"Now it's extinguished."

Perez, however, hasn't decided on his racing future yet since he is currently occupied with spending time with his family, something he was unable to do due to his F1 commitments. He revealed that a decision about his racing career will be made over the next six months. He said:

"My priority is to enjoy myself, to do things I haven't done before, to be with my family.

"In the next six months, I will make a decision about what I want for the next step in my career.

"It's too early to give an answer as to whether I intend to return to Formula 1.

"Everything happened so quickly at the end of last season, I didn't expect to leave the team.

"My biggest motivation now is to guide my children along the right path and be more present in their lives. I am very excited to be with my family because in F1 you only think about being a better driver, preparing yourself better, you don't have time for anything else."