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Coulthard backs himself: 'That's why Perez no longer has a Red Bull seat'
After a difficult season for Sergio Perez, during which he received a lot of criticism, the Mexican driver was replaced by Red Bull Racing. Among others, former F1 driver David Coulthard also criticised 'Checo', after which he earned many responses from Mexico. Still, 'DC' stands by his statements.
Coulthard continues to stand by his Perez opinion
After Sergio Perez completed four seasons alongside Max Verstappen as a Red Bull Racing driver, the Austrians decided to replace him with Liam Lawson. Coulthard also previously shared his thoughts on Perez's performance, and as a result, he received hate from Mexican fans.
Coulthard previously shared his opinion on Perez's poor performance, after which he got a lot of Mexican fans all over him. "No surprise to me, the big news at Red Bull Racing is that Checo Perez has been stood down," he began in the podcast he co-hosts with Eddie Jordan, Formula for Success. "I voiced an opinion on this very show [Formula For Success] ahead of the end of the season. I just felt it was a standoff between himself and his management. I took some heat from Mexico, all sorts of the usual vitriol which said, "What do you know?", and "What have you achieved?", and all that good stuff."
'Not a personality contest'
Coulthard still appreciates Perez's previous results and his personality, but it was not enough for him to stay. "The fact is, I was merely basing an opinion on the facts, and the fact are that Checo, if it were a personality contest and one of the most like drivers in the paddock contest, would still be in the seat. He is a brilliant man, has done a great job, and he has won lots of Grands Prix and can be incredibly proud of his performance."
"But last season, he didn't match Max, and it cost the team valuable points in the constructors' championship. So, an agreement has been found where he will still be involved with the brand in some way, but clearly not behind the steering wheel of the Red Bull Racing car," the Briton concluded.
This aritcle was written in collaboration with Sandy van Wijngaarden
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