AUSTIN, Texas — Sergio Pérez has denied stories he’s set to retire from Method One on the finish of this 12 months and stays 100% sure he might be a Purple Bull driver in 2024.

Perez is presently a distant second to teammate Max Verstappen within the drivers’ championship this 12 months, scoring simply 224 factors to the not too long ago topped champion’s 433.

On the previous three races, Perez has slumped even additional, scoring simply 5 factors in comparison with Verstappen’s 69.

The strain constructing on Perez heightened final week when a poster on Reddit claimed that they had data from a consultant at Mexican telecoms big Telmex that Perez would announce his retirement at his dwelling race in Mexico subsequent weekend.

Talking to reporters forward of this weekend’s U.S. Grand Prix, Perez stated the story was false.

“That actually sums up my season: a man says one thing about me and hastily it turns into true,” he stated. “However I’ve a contract for subsequent 12 months and I’ve no cause to not fulfil that contract.

“I will give my absolute best to it, I’ve executed a dedication but it surely is not going to be my remaining contract in Method One.”

Perez stated retiring from F1 on the finish of this 12 months would characterize a simple approach out from his present struggles, however one that he’s not prepared to take.

“It is not perfect once you undergo a troublesome interval of your profession,” he stated. “However I simply love the problem of getting again at it. The best factor can be to simply stroll out of it. However that is not me, that is not who I’m and I can’t hand over.

“I’ve zero doubts about being again to my finest degree and that’s my solely goal that I keep in mind. I do not even take into consideration retirement or something like that as a result of that is simply the simple route.”

Requested if he was sure his Purple Bull contract is watertight for 2024, he stated: “100%.

“I’ve a contract and conversations with the staff as effectively. There isn’t any cause for me to not fulfil that contract.”

Perez stated his insecurity within the Purple Bull, particularly on nook entries, is the basis reason for his struggles, however accepts the present hole in efficiency to Verstappen is unacceptable.

“Positively, we can not have this type of hole,” he stated. “I feel, principally, to return to the primary six races or so and we had been combating with Max. That is the goal, to get again to that degree of consolation with the automotive.

“My points have been actual and we have been scuffling with the automotive a bit and hopefully subsequent 12 months generally is a totally different story, but additionally these subsequent 5 races.”