Sergio Perez had a race to forget at the season closer in Abu Dhabi as he was forced to retire early on, leaving him to lament his “very difficult year” that has cast doubt on his future with Red Bull.
The Mexican driver signed a contract extension to stay with the Milton Keynes outfit until 2026 back in June, but an unrelenting period of poor results has thrown his place on the grid into jeopardy.
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While his team mate Max Verstappen secured his fourth consecutive world championship, Perez ended the season 285 points behind him, with no top-five finishes since the Miami Grand Prix back at the beginning of May.
After continuously targeting a change in his fortunes, he started the finale at the Yas Marina Circuit from 10th on the grid, but his race quickly came to an end after he came into contact with the Sauber of Valtteri Bottas.
