13/08/2020
NEWS STORY
Returning from his enforced quarantine after testing positive for the coronavirus following a trip back to Mexico, must have felt like he'd never been away as he was immediately under pressure to update the media on his team's plans for 2021.
Though the Mexican has a contract for 2021 and 2022, there has been intense speculation that the team - to be renamed Aston Martin - is lining up Sebastian Vettel for the seat.
"On the rumours with Sebastian, there's nothing I can do," he told the media in today's video press conference. "What I've heard from the team is that we all want to keep going, to continue. So I believe it's just a matter of time before those rumours can go away."
Minded of the elbow rubbing incident involving Vettel and Lawrence Stroll ahead of the British Grand Prix, and the German's subsequent 'car share' with team boss Otmar Szafnauer, he laughed.
"Otmar, he's a very proud Ferrari owner," he said. "What do I make of it? Nothing. Everyone is free to do what they want, especially outside the racing.
"The elbow with Lawrence... nothing to say, I don't make anything of it."
Asked if he has had any talks in terms of an alternative drive, he said: "Not really, given that my position with the team looks quite secure and it's the feeling that I've been getting.
"We're fully on this package and we want to continue as well," he added.
Asked about the coronavirus, and how it affected him, he said: "I was extremely lucky not to have any big symptoms other than a little bit of a headache.
"For one or two days I felt very tired," he continued, "but at the same time you feel like that when you spend so much of your time on your own.
"I couldn't leave the room so I was basically on lockdown for ten days. That was the only feeling. I was actually training at the apartment I was at. I was trying to keep fit.
"There was a chance I could have raced in the second Silverstone race, if I tested negative," he added, "unfortunately that didn't happen. Now finally, I am free to race again."
Asked about some of the reporting of his trip to Mexico, and claims that the journey was not for the reason he claimed, Perez admitted his anger and frustration.
"I found it very unprofessional, those things," he subsequently told the official F1 website. "It's a total lie.
"I went to Mexico for two days to see my mum, with all the precautions in place," he added. "I took care of everything, followed all the guidelines.
"When I was in quarantine I saw everything, I saw people saying I was taking with selfies with people, I saw that I made up the story about my mum, so much bullshit. So unrespectful (sic).
"People here in Formula One think we are bulletproof to the virus, and that's not the case," her continued. "We're all very vulnerable to this.
"I've done nothing differently to anyone else in this paddock. It just happened to me. It happened to another friend in another team, when I was in quarantine he called me and said 'look, I tested positive too'. It can happen to anyone.
"What cannot happen is that if tomorrow someone else infected that people make up stories instead of being worried about their health."