Sergio Perez: How time away from F1 changed his perspective...

Sergio Perez has revealed the importance of taking time away from Formula 1, claiming that once he was forced to step out of it, he 'realised a lot of things'.

The Mexican driver was replaced at Red Bull for the 2025 season by rookie Liam Lawson. Having lost the seat at the end of 2024, Perez was unable to secure another full-time seat and instead took some time away from the championship.

"I didn't feel at the time [but I needed the break]. When you are in the sport, you are carried away with the fact that you are always thinking about your next year, your next race, your next contract," Perez told F1.com.

"It's like you are in automatic mode. But once you are forced to step out of it like I was, you realise a lot of things and you see the sport different."

He added: "When you are in that bubble of Formula 1 – because at the end of the day, Formula 1 is a bubble – as a driver you worry about a lot of factors. You are not always satisfied because you didn't take the extra time that was in there and so on and you forget that the main thing is to enjoy it, because at the end of the day, we are privileged to be able to do what we love.