Mark ThompsonGetty Images
- Red Bull has signed Sergio Perez for the 2022 season to drive alongside Max Verstappen.
- Red Bull’s retention of Perez secures the last big top spot for 2022, a day after Alpine held Fernando Alonso.
- Perez is fifth in the Formula 1 drivers ‘championship and helped Red Bull in the battle against Mercedes in the heated Formula 1 constructors’ championship.
Red Bull Racing had a potential vacancy alongside Max Verstappen in 2022 – but it has chosen to continue with the status quo and keep Sergio “Checo” Perez.
Perez, 31, has proven to be the stabilizing force that Red Bull so badly needed alongside number 1 Max Verstappen.
Red Bull’s retention of Perez secures the last big top spot for 2022, a day after Alpine held Fernando Alonso. With McLaren and Ferrari keeping their drivers for 2022, it means that only Mercedes has a vacancy in the top half of the field – thus drawing greater attention to whether it makes the call to promote Williams’ George Russell in place of Valtteri Bottas .
Perez’s move takes Bottas’ last hope of a victorious journey should he lose his seat at Mercedes.
Sergio Perez will take part in Friday practice at Spa-Francorchamps ahead of the Belgian F1 Grand Prix on Sunday.
Dan Istitene – Formula 1Getty Images
After Daniel Ricciardo’s surprising decision to leave the team at the end of 2018, Red Bull did without two constant front runners. Red Bull promoted Pierre Gasly but he struggled in the shadow of Verstappen and the team then got a flyer over the inexperienced Alexander Albon in the seat after a mid-2019 shock switch.
However, Albon mirrored Gasly’s form and was unable to adequately support Verstappen as he only finished two podiums over the course of 2020. Gasly and Albon’s struggles caused Red Bull to deviate from its usual strategy of promoting young talent within its own driver program and instead opted for Sergio Perez.
Perez arrived with 10 seasons at Sauber, McLaren and Force India / Racing Point, where he had earned a reputation for being an underdog with striking results. Red Bull also benefited from his understanding of the notoriously tricky Pirelli tires and his experience with Mercedes engines.
Fifth in the drivers’ standings, Perez followed Gasly and Albon and found Verstappen a tough nut to crack over a lap – and Perez himself was never a Saturday specialist – but he was more impressive at racing trim.
Perez won in Azerbaijan and played a vital role as a rear gunner for Verstappen to triumph in France. There were mistakes, but it was a solid start to life at Red Bull.
Another key factor behind Perez was the relative lack of options elsewhere. Realistically, Red Bull wasn’t in the mood to bet on a fourth other team-mate for Verstappen in so many years and all the extra work that comes with it.
Sister team AlphaTauri employs Gasly, who had a strong 2021 but would still be a risk, and Japanese rookie Yuki Tsunoda, who had a very inconsistent first half. Both are expected to stay with AlphaTauri next year.
“Checo is a highly respected team member and his experience and racing skills are invaluable when we are fighting for the constructors’ championship,” said Red Bull team principal Christian Horner. “His integration into the broader team was seamless and we were impressed with his performance in the first half of the season, which shows what he’s capable of in our car.
Sergio Perez (left) and Max Verstappen have Red Bull only 12 points behind Mercedes in the Formula 1 constructors’ championship.
Mark ThompsonGetty Images
“Next year we will enter a new era of Formula 1 with completely revised regulations and vehicles. With over 200 races and a decade of experience, Checo will play an important role in helping the team make this transition and maximize the RB18. “
Verstappen, who has a contract with Red Bull until 2023, got on well with Perez and knows that his teammate will play a crucial role in his quest to win the F1 drivers’ championship.
“I mean, he was a really good team-mate,” said Verstappen. “First of all, he’s a very nice guy and it’s fun to work with Checo. Everything went really well from that side.”
For Perez it is an early confirmation of his continued employment – in contrast to his unusual 2020 season. It was supposed to be the first year of a refreshed three-year contract with Racing Point, which was however terminated two years earlier, allowing the team to replace four-time champion Sebastian Vettel to Aston Martin. Perez faced months of uncertainty and resigned himself to the thought of a year on the sidelines if the call never came from Red Bull. But that call came when 2020 was over, and it now has confirmation for a second year.
“I’m really excited to be entering the new era of Formula 1 with a great team like Red Bull and it’s a great opportunity for me,” said Perez. “With the new regulations, everyone will start from scratch next year, so my only goal is to get to the top with Red Bull. It always takes time to get a grip on everything when you join a new team, but this season has worked out well and I really enjoy being part of the Red Bull family.
“We still have so much to achieve together and we still have a big challenge ahead of us this season. I really hope that we can end the year on a high note and carry that momentum into 2022. From my sponsors to my fans, they have been so excited since I joined Red Bull, so I really hope we can reward them by reaching the top and winning the title. ”
F1 drivers’ championship
- Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes, 195
- Max Verstappen, Red Bull, 187
- Lando Norris, McLaren, 113
- Valtteri Bottas, Mercedes, 108
- Sergio Perez, Red Bull, 104
F1 constructors’ championship
- Mercedes 303
- Red Bull 291
- Ferrari 163
This content is created and maintained by a third party and imported onto this page to help users provide their email addresses. You may find more information on this and similar content at piano.io
The post What Red Bull’s signing of Sergio Perez means for the F1 driver market first appeared on monter-une-startup.
