Sergio Perez has admitted for the first time that his career in F1 could move away from Red Bull after 2024 if he doesn't get what he believes he feels needs at his current team.
Perez raced on a par with championship leader Max Verstappen in the opening races of 2023, with the pair trading wins.
But the Dutchman has since left his Red Bull teammate in a cloud of dust, the 47-time Grand Prix winner crushing the opposition on his way to a probable third world title.
Perez deficit to Verstappen, coupled with the Mexican's performance slump over the summer, led to speculation that Perez could be ousted from Red Bull a year ahead of the expiration of his contract with the Milton Keynes-based outfit.
However, team boss Christian Horner reiterated last weekend in Monza that there will be no changes to Red Bull's line-up for 2024.
Perez's seat is therefore safe for the mid-term, but the 33-year-old is slowly but surely considering his future beyond 2024, a sign that Perez is perhaps becoming more aware with each passing race that his tenure with the bulls is nearing its end.
While his results next season will likely largely dictate whether Red Bull offers him a new contract or not, Perez insists that he also wants to race with a team to which he can "contribute" something.
"Every year you learn new things and that's why I like this sport so much," Perez told DAZN España.
"You are learning things all the time. I think the most important thing is to learn from your mistakes.
"With the season we have had, it is important to hold the next races in an environment where I feel I can contribute. And [if] that place for 2025 is not here, we will have to look for other alternatives.
"But right now, my main focus is to be here, to win more races, to keep winning championships with Red Bull.
"I have a contract until next year and at some point next year we will sit down and talk."
Red Bull's next order of business will be to uphold its flawless track record at Singapore next week. Looking ahead to the street circuit event at Marina Bay, Verstappen expects a challenged that will be "a little bit more difficult" for his team, a view echoed by Perez.
"I agree with Max, I think it’s going to be a weekend where basically anything can happen," he said.
"Hopefully we are able to have a very strong Saturday, because if you don’t start in the front row, it’s very unlikely that you will have a shot at the victory."
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