He was more on the verge of tears than laughter. As his F1 peers geared up for Q2, the emotional Mexican strolled past his home crowd towards the media. Once again, he had to explain why things went so wrong, how he got knocked out in Q1, and why this weekend was turning into a nightmare. Did he ever think about just calling it quits?
In Austria, fans filled the Wiener Stadthalle with some shedding tears as Dominic Thiem waved goodbye one last time. It was both emotional and beautiful. Thiem chose to end his tennis journey surrounded by fans and fellow Austrians, a perfect farewell.
Thiem won a Grand Slam and was a great player, though not quite legendary. Still, he remains one of Austria’s beloved sports figures. Similarly, Sergio Perez is cherished in Mexico’s F1 scene but hasn’t reached the pinnacle. Unlike Thiem, Perez seems unsure when to step away gracefully.
Perez Holds His Ground
Rumors swirled for weeks that Perez would announce his retirement during the Mexico GP weekend. However, he repeatedly denied these claims and showed no signs of leaving F1 soon. Fans might wonder if stepping down could have been wiser by now.
Perez faced a tough time at the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez in Mexico City. He qualified 18th, driving a Red Bull! The RB20 isn’t like its predecessor, but still—18th place? It’s not the first time he’s disappointed his team and supporters.
Red Bull Racing is keeping Perez on a short leash lately. Christian Horner and especially Helmut Marko have grown more critical of him daily. With Liam Lawson waiting in the wings, Perez’s seat next to Max Verstappen for 2025 isn’t guaranteed.
Red Bull’s Impending Decision
Perez has to seriously consider that Red Bull might cut him loose after this season ends, which would likely mark the end of his F1 career. It mirrors Daniel Ricciardo‘s situation when he was abruptly let go mid-season from their sister team Visa Cash App RB.
Things could’ve been different for Perez. If he’d announced that this Mexican Grand Prix was his final race last Thursday, he’d be celebrated all weekend long by fans and colleagues alike. But now, such a heartwarming farewell seems unlikely.
What do you think? Should Perez have taken a bow while he had the chance?
