Perez shocked by two days notice of exit

Sergio Perez has revealed his shock at being told that his contract would not be picked up for 2014 by McLaren with just two days warning before the news was due to be made public.

"I found out a couple of days before you found out," he told the media in Austin on Thursday. "It was a very late decision and I had no idea, it just came as a shock to me because the team was always giving good feedback to me and everything was pretty much settled down and I was going to stay at the team.

"Something happened in the last few weeks and they decided not to [renew my contract]," he added. "It puts me in a very difficult position for me to look forward to my future."

Perez told Sky Sports F1 that he was still unclear as to the team's reasons for making the decision to let him go. "If I'm very honest I haven't had the chance yet to get fully into that," he said. "McLaren has their own decisions, they know what they are doing and it's better you ask them."

However, Perez insisted that he wasn't going to hold a grudge against the team for making the choice to go with Formula Renault 3.5 title winner Kevin Magnussen next season, taking time to issue a commendable gracious statement on his personal website in the circumstances on Wednesday.

"I don't feel let down," he said. "In the end McLaren decided to go another route. I have to find my own route and hopefully I can find the best possible seat available for my career. I'm only 23 years old and I have a lot to give to the sport.

"It's been a difficult year but people on the outside can think whatever they want," he continued. "We have had a very difficult season all year long. It was definitely not what I was expecting and also not what McLaren was expecting.

"When I signed for them they had such a competitive car and that is not what we have right now and we have not had it all season long. There is no secret it has been a disappointing year for both parties.

"If I look back I did my best, I tried to give my very best to take the most out of the chance that I had," he added. "I probably came at the worst possible year in history to McLaren. But that's life and I look forward."

Being left in the cold at this late stage of the season, with most teams having made their plans for next year, means that Perez will be hard-pressed to get any seat at all in F1 for 2014, et alone a genuinely competitive one.

"I know there are some options but I will not stay in F1 just to stay," he said. "If I don't find the right option then I have to look for something else. I'm pretty confident that something good will happen and hopefully I will find a good seat."