Perez does not care criticism, he solely focuses on his job
Having freshly signed a two-year contract extension with Red Bull, Sergio Perez stressed that he does not get distracted by external criticism, and he solely focuses on his job instead.
Having struggled for pure pace in recent qualifying sessions, Sergio Perez's future at Red Bull has been hanging in the balance in recent months.
The Guadalajara-born driver joined Red Bull in 2021, and helped his team-mate Max Verstappen win his first championship title that year, playing a pivotal role at the title-deciding 2021 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.
However, he has failed to deliver a consistent performance over the last couple of years. Perez has won five races with Red Bull, and finished second in the Drivers' Championship last year, but he has endured periods during which he simply struggled for outright pace in qualifying.
The Mexican finds himself currently in exactly such a tough period as he failed to make the cut into Q3 in three consecutive races in Imola, Monaco and Montreal. Despite his recent struggles, Red Bull elected to extend his contract by a further two years which will see Perez race for the Milton Keynes-based outfit until at least the end of the 2026 F1 season.
"Well, I think in Formula 1, there are always different agendas, and I really get that. It's something that has been with every driver since we got in the sport.
"And I think the best thing to do is just to close the visor and focus on my job, do the best for myself, for my career. And at the end of the day, when my career is finished, it's the only thing that will matter to me.
"What people have to say or not… I mean, I appreciate that everyone has their opinion, but at the end of the day, I'm here to do the best for my career and I'm happy with what I have achieved."
Asked how the talks about his new contract evolved in recent weeks, Perez said that it was a fairly straightforward process as both parties know each other well.
'Well, I obviously feel happy once you get an agreement. It really means that both parties are happy with what we got, and happy to move forward.
"And obviously, we’ve got great targets ahead of us. Red Bull is a team that really takes everything out of you. It's something that since I came here, the amount of how intense everything is on track, off track, and it's a challenge you don't have anywhere else.
"I haven't had that sort of challenge in my career. When I sign, I'm really up for it and willing to give my 100%. It was just a very straightforward negotiation. Obviously, I've been in the team for a few years already, so it's always, I think, when you are already there, it's a lot easier to reach an agreement," said the Mexican.
