Perez has that 'extra experience' that Albon and Gasly didn't have
F1 News
- GPblog.com
It's taken a while, but it looks like Red Bull Racing have finally found a driver in Sergio Perez to join Max Verstappen in the battle for the Constructors' Championship. In the Beyond The Grid podcast Christian Horner talks about the team's choice.
After Alexander Albon and Pierre Gasly, it's Perez's turn to impress the team. So far Red Bull are positive about the Mexican, who has already achieved some good results this season. What does he have that Albon and Gasly don't?
"He just gives us that extra experience. He’s got ten years worth of experience, he’s got an ability to manage tyres in a race that is second to none. It just brings a different dynamic into the line-up. Both Pierre and Alex are tremendously gifted drivers, but the timing just wasn’t right. The pressure environment and the high expectations, it was very tough for them," Horner said.
Perez brings dynamism to battle with Mercedes
Albon and Gasly were both part of the Red Bull junior programme, but this was not the case with Perez.
The Red Bull team boss continued: "I think it was a bold move to step out of the scheme this year with Checo. But for the first time since Mark Webber we’ve taken on a non-Red Bull junior driver. But the way he’s settled in he’s delivering. Particularly after that victory in Bahrain last year, it would have been very tough for him not to be in Formula 1."
"I think he brings a dynamic in the fight we have with Mercedes. It’s starting to pay dividend, you saw that during the French GP and also Azerbaijan getting his first victory. Lewis would have probably won this race had it not been for Checo, so he is absolutely delivering."