No one would’ve thought at this point Sergio Perez would be out of a drive for 2021. He had a contract that lasted until 2022, and it looked like his patience in Racing Point would pay off. They are to become a manufacturer supported outfit in 2021. And pace wise they are on the up. It all looked like the stars had finally aligned for him and that he was going to finally get his chance in a front running car. Then Sebastian Vettel lost his drive at Ferrari and was looking for a new seat…
It was pretty clear that if Racing Point, who will morph into Aston Martin in 2021, did take Vettel, it would be Sergio that makes way, considering Lance Stroll, who has performed very solidly this year, is the son of the team’ s chief investor. And the news all fans of the Mexican were dreading came on Wednesday that he was parting ways with the team he had driven for for 7 seasons. No one knows where Sergio could be heading, with many reports linking him to Haas. However him being a free agent presents a unique opportunity to Red Bull.
Since Daniel Ricciardo left the team, they have put first Pierre Gasly, and then Alexander Albon in the second car alongside Max Verstappen. Both these drivers were in the infant stages of their career when getting the call up, and despite showing good pace in the junior team, they struggled to get on terms with Verstappen when they joined Red Bull. I stated on Absolute Motorsport that the fact two drivers with a solid record beforehand have underperformed in that car is no coincidence and Red Bull need to change their approach to number 2 drivers and stop relying on their academy. Take a look at Valtteri Bottas at Mercedes and what Kimi Raikkonen was like in his second stint at Ferrari. Whilst they haven’t been at the level of their respective teammates, they have proven to be dependable drivers who could do the job the team needed them to do. What Red Bull need is a dependable driver. And Sergio Perez could end up being that dependable driver they have needed for so long.
Yes some may say that would be harsh on Alexander Albon considering he’s just got his maiden podium a couple of races ago. However I honestly think putting him back into the AlphaTauri would be best for him. As shown in Mugello, he is capable of delivering results for the team. He is a great driver, we all know that from his junior formulae days and his performances in what was then the Toro Rosso. He could be great in the Red Bull in a few years time. However right now he is still in the infant stages of his career and he needs more time to develop in that AlphaTauri before he goes into a front running car. Look at how well it’s working for Pierre Gasly. Being alongside a superstar such as Max Verstappen, who is in his prime and has full backing of the team, is simply not the right environment for a young driver in the early stages of their career. Sergio Perez, having waited his whole career for a front running seat would worship an opportunity in a top team, whether it’s as a number 2 driver or not. As I mentioned earlier, he is a dependable driver with a lot of experience. He is the master of tyre conservation, which can take a driver a long way in this era of F1, and everything I’ve seen from him leads me to believe he would constantly deliver results and be a great support to Max Verstappen.
And he wouldn’t just be ideal for providing a support to their chosen star. Max is not going to be there forever. At some point he is going to want to move on and go for a new challenge. And if things don’t change, they risk having a young driver go from playing second fiddle to someone in his prime having the full backing of the team with his confidence at an all time low due to being constantly beaten, to all of a sudden being expected to lead the team, alongside a less experienced team-mate in the infant stages of their career. (I am convinced if no opportunity at Red Bull presents itself for Gasly for 2022 he will look elsewhere). By putting a dependable driver like Sergio Perez in the second Red Bull, then you have an experienced driver in the car that not only they can rely on to deliver results but also can coax Alexander Albon or Pierre Gasly or whoever they promote into the team in Max’s place and allow whoever they promote to come in fully developed after a handful of seasons at AlphaTauri.
To put it simply, Sergio Perez being available on the market presents an opportunity for the team to fix a clear issue with the team, which is over-reliance on their junior drivers. I am not denying that their junior setup has worked very well over the years, with many successful drivers coming through the programme, getting in the Toro Rosso/AlphaTauri, then getting in the Red Bull. I am not saying they should ditch the philosophy. But they need to open up their minds, as sometimes there is going to be a shortage of drivers ready to take the Red Bull seat, as has happened since Daniel Ricciardo left, and sometimes they could do with experience. Now they have an opportunity for that which if they let go of they could regret in the long term.
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