Perez knew before the summer break that he secured his future with Red Bull in Formula One

Sergio Perez has revealed that he knew before the Formula 1 summer break that his future with Red Bull was secure for 2022, before announcing his contract extension this week.

Red Bull announced last Friday that Perez will remain with them for next season, after renewing his contract by one year.

While that was widely expected, it was also significant, as it marked the first time since 2018 that Red Bull had maintained the same driver lineup it started with the previous season.

Perez has scored one win and another podium since joining Red Bull, and he is set to play a key role in the team’s quest to win their first constructors’ championship since 2013.

When asked by Motorsport.com when Red Bull informed him of his contract renewal for next year, Perez said it was very clear before the summer break that he would stay with the team in 2022.

“I went to summer vacation knowing what I’m going to do next year,” Perez said.

“But of course everyone went on vacation, and it took more time to be ready. I signed the contract on Friday, as soon as everyone came back, and yes, we’ve been together for a long time.”

“Already a few races ago, Helmut (Marco) and Christian (Horner) told me that they are very happy to keep me in the team, and that I should not look elsewhere.”

He continued: “They wanted to continue our partnership together, and vice versa as well, so things were clear from both sides in that aspect.”

Perez added that he had not spoken to anyone else about a seat for 2022, as it was “very clear that I want to continue my career here next year”.

The Mexican also expressed his optimism about the next season and the opportunities it holds, saying: “We have a great opportunity, and everyone will start from zero next year. It is no secret that I struggled with the car at times in order to extract the maximum performance, but now I think about the bigger picture. And how can we get some of the other things that might affect next year’s car. We have a great opportunity.”