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F1 unanimous on Perez after Las Vegas drama: 'It's time, Checo'
- Ludo van Denderen
Once Max Verstappen secures his fourth world title in Formula 1 this weekend, the Dutchman will no doubt give an extended speech, thanking many. Helmut Marko will get a 'thank you', the mechanics too, and of course, his family as well. Sergio Perez does not need to be mentioned, as the Mexican hardly contributed anything at all to this title. Even during qualifying in Las Vegas, the experienced driver let Verstappen and Red Bull Racing down.
Jenson Button couldn't wrap his head around it. "Contractually, probably not [the end]. But it's a tricky one, isn't it? I mean, it's been a long way off for a long time now. And I don't know anyone that's had that many opportunities in this sport in such a big team. A team that's the world champion at this moment in time," the Briton said on Sky Sports.
"My goodness I mean Checo making [another] mistake," the retired American driver continued on Sky Sports. "He's done so many great things, won so many races. I think that if it were me, I wouldn't want to look like that anymore. I'd just say, it's time," she concluded.
Perez really is well past his prime
It's time. This is a widely shared view in the F1 paddock, that it is time for Sergio Perez to finish his F1 career. It is quite understandable that the Mexican himself keeps saying time and again that he wants to continue for two more years.
Many top athletes are like that: they know what they could once do, and think they can still act at that level, but struggle to accept that everything has an 'expiry date'. Perez - as sad as it is for him - is well past that date.
That Perez remains positive even after yet another failure - this time during qualifying in Las Vegas - is commendable. It should not be forgotten that the Mexican has to carry the heavy burden of an entire nation on his shoulders. Mexicans desire - or say, demand - results from him that make them proud. And walking away, after all, from Red Bull and F1 feels like a defeat for both his fans and Perez. Especially when then there is also a dad constantly shouting on many platforms that Checo's best is yet to come.
After this weekend, there are two more race weekends to go. After that, Red Bull must make a decision that is now inevitable: Saying goodbye to Sergio Perez. Because Las Vegas is yet another confirmation that their time together should be over. And now if Perez himself would admit that, he himself can decide how he leaves the competition.
This article was written in collaboration with Kada Sárközi
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