Peter Windsor says ‘it’s beginning to look like’ 275-race F1 driver will announce retirement this month

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No Formula 1 driver has officially announced their retirement since Sebastian Vettel at the end of 2022. Vettel spent two years at Aston Martin after leaving Ferrari, with Fernando Alonso replacing him.

As a four-time world champion, it was appropriate that he left the sport with considerable fanfare at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. Daniel Ricciardo didn’t receive the same treatment in Singapore last month, though that may have been a deliberate choice.

It seemed more than 90% certain that Ricciardo would lose his RB seat to Liam Lawson for the final six races. At 35, his career was unlikely to survive being dropped for a second time in three seasons.

While he’s yet to confirm as much himself, Craig Slater says ‘there’s no way back’ for Ricciardo. He may continue to race in a different series.

Ricciardo could appear in NASCAR, just as Kimi Raikkonen did in 2022 after leaving F1. Former Ferrari and Williams driver Felipe Massa has tried a number of other disciplines including Formula E and stock car racing.

Likewise, Jenson Button remains active in the World Endurance Championship nearly eight years on from his retirement. His old McLaren teammate Alonso walked away at the end of 2018 but was back within three years.

Peter Windsor revives Sergio Perez retirement rumours after US Grand Prix woes

Sergio Perez dismissed retirement rumours during the long break between Singapore and the US Grand Prix. He posted a clip from 2013 film ‘The Wolf of Wall Street’ where the lead character declares ‘I’m not leaving’.

Perez ignored his social media training when he made the post, and F1 journalist Peter Windsor reckons he may perform a U-turn. After watching him underperform once again in Austin, he suggested that the 34-year-old could hang up his helmet imminently.

F1 heads to Mexico next weekend for his home race, which may be seen as the ideal venue for an announcement. Red Bull will see ‘no excuse’ for the gap to Max Verstappen.

Perez was knocked out in SQ2 on Saturday, lapping almost a second slower than Verstappen during the session. Significantly, he was beaten by Yuki Tsunoda, one of the contenders to take his drive.

“Sergio Perez very disappointing in the Red Bull-Honda,” Windsor said. “A second a lap slower than Max on the medium tyre in Q2, really no excuse for that. And beginning to look like maybe he will retire after Mexico. I’m not saying he will, but the way it’s going at the moment…

“He started to look pretty good, and there’s no excuse for him to be that slow around somewhere like Austin in a car as good as the Red Bull RB20 is.”

Where Sergio Perez ranks all-time for Formula 1 race starts

If Perez retires, it’s unlikely to be by choice. He’s consistently expressed his determination to fight on in the media, even if the last two years in particular may have been privately soul-destroying.

However, the senior leadership may lose any remaining patience. As well as underdelivering on track, Perez has hampered Red Bull’s car development by amassing huge repair bills this year.

It’s possible that Windsor has misjudged the situation and that Perez will survive beyond the winter. But even then, he could be vulnerable to a mid-season driver swap if Tsunoda or Liam Lawson make a strong case at RB.

Perez will make his 276th race start in Texas, though it’s unclear how many more are in the offing. He ranks eighth all-time right now, having recently overtaken Massa, with Vettel directly ahead on 300.