Last Week, Sergio Perez put up a strong performance for Red Bull at the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix. The Mexican driver finished second in Imola behind his teammate Max Verstappen. Moreover, the 32-year-old is third in the drivers’ standing with 54 points and two podiums in 2022. But recently, the Red Bull driver has expressed some concerns about the increase in the number of races.
F1 is set to organize 23 races this year, increasing one more race from last year’s 22 GPs. As the number of races increased each year, there is an increased amount of workload and pressure on the drivers and the racing teams. Back in 2009, the drivers raced at 17 circuits across 16 countries. However, the 2022 season is scheduled to organize 23 races in 20 different countries worldwide. The number of events is hoped to increase each year, resulting in Perez considering his future in F1.
Will Sergio Perez Retire After 2022?
Perez has had a good run in the 2022 championship so far. He has not fallen far off behind the reigning world champ in the drivers’ rankings. However, the Red Bull man could quit Formula One if the race calendar continues to get more jam-packed.
While talking to the Athletic, Sergio said that racing across the world all through the year is a big demand. Having more races is a no-go, at least for him. Perez explained how drivers are completely involved with so many races, simulator sessions, and partner events. Thus, the racers have no time for themselves or their families. The Red Bull driver added, “I have a couple of young children. I think if the calendar expands more, then I definitely will not do it.”
Morover, Sergio Perez is in the last year of his contract with Red Bull. The racing team is most likely to replace Perez with Lewis Hamilton next season. Therefore he might consider calling it quits, given the never-ending schedule and the responsibility of his young family.
Perez started the season in Bahrain, where he failed to finish the race. However, the Red Bull driver has managed to score points in the last three races. Sergio finished fourth in Saudi Arabia and managed to secure podiums in Australia and Imola. Sergio is third on the drivers’ rankings. And he would hope to end the season on a high if he is really considering retiring from the F1 circuit next year.