Sergio Perez ice cool over F1 future amid improved performances at Red Bull

Sergio Perez came into the 2024 Formula 1 season under pressure after a lackluster end to last year, standing on the podium just twice in the final 10 races after the summer break.

Perez drove to second at the Italian Grand Prix and third place at Las Vegas while being dominated by teammate Max Verstappen.

Perez is now in the final year of his contract with the Austrian team, which expires at the end of the year.

He has finished second three times in four races this season as his teammate took victory. The only blot on his copybook was a lackluster drive to fifth place in Australia while suffering from damage to his Red Bull RB20.

The Japanese Grand Prix weekend at Suzuka showcased the driver's best and worst qualities. Perez secured second place on the grid, just 0.066 behind teammate Verstappen. 

This result was a huge improvement over some disastrous performances over a single lap in 2023, failing to make the top-10 shootouts in Monaco and Qatar.

Perez kept up with Verstappen in the opening stages but made an error at Degner 2 and eventually finished a distant second, 12 seconds behind his teammate.

After his superb performances, the Red Bull driver isn't overly concerned about the future as his contract draws to a close.

"I'm very relaxed about it. It's my 14th season in F1. Whatever comes next, I'm really pleased with what I've achieved in the sport so far and I believe it will be a matter of time." 

"The driver market is moving and the next few weeks, there will be a lot of movement for sure. I expect in a month to really know what I'm doing next year," Perez told Sky Sports F1.

The 34-year-old was previously the subject of speculation in the driver market in 2020. He was forced to make way for four-time world champion Sebastian Vettel at Aston Martin for the following year.

He switched to Red Bull for 2021, replacing Alex Albon, but has been in Verstappen's shadow and has been forced to watch the Dutchman romp to three consecutive world titles.

The upcoming run of races remains a mix of unknowns and venues holding contrasting memories for Perez.

Formula 1 returns to China next weekend for the first time since 2019, a circuit where Perez has delivered points for Force India earlier in his career.

The following race in Miami yielded a podium last year, but he missed an opportunity to take victory from pole position as Verstappen stormed through the field to win from ninth place on the grid.