Perez wants action from FIA and F1: 'Never saw people so exhausted before'

With a second place in the final drivers' standings, Sergio Perez has become an even bigger hero in his home country. In a year full of ups & downs, the Mexican still managed to get the maximum result behind the untouchable Max Verstappen. In 2024, another chance for Perez with Red Bull Racing. Then no less than 24 Grands Prix await. That will be far too intensive a programme, Perez believes.

Next year, the Grands Prix of China and Imola (cancelled in 2023) return, and, for example, the night race in Las Vegas will be the first of a triple header. If Perez is asked - by the likes of GPblog - whether he thinks race calendars should be looked at by the FIA and Formula 1, Verstappen's teammate responded firmly.

Perez wants action from the FIA and Formula 1

"Yeah, surely. But obviously it's something that we're going to raise it up to try and see what can be done. Probably now it's late for next year but for the year after to really try to maximise it. I don't remember seeing people so exhausted in the last race. I think it's something that we’ve got to be taking very seriously because it's important for the sport. For the drivers, too."

Perez himself is now 33 years old, and once the new season starts, he will be 34. He felt first-hand last season how draining the schedule is. "To obviously keep having these long careers that we've seen from the staff, from the mechanics...we want them to have very long careers as well. So I think it's something we must consider," said the Red Bull driver.