In 2021, Red Bull Racing, for the first time in years, choose a driver who is not part of their own training program as one of their drivers: Sergio Perez. Although the Mexican has yet to convince in every race, Helmut Marko is very happy with his new pupil.
Perez the ideal man?
After the departure of Daniel Ricciardo, Red Bull Racing has been searching for the perfect teammate for Max Verstappen. Pierre Gasly was deemed unable to handle the pressure after just six months, and after a year and a half Alex Albon was still not convincing. Perez has already won one race for Red Bull Racing, but that could simply be down to the team's car?
''The difference is that Perez is more consistent. The results he gets in qualifying, like second in Imola or third at the Red Bull Ring, Albon didn't get those kind of results. And in the race Perez is almost at the level of Verstappen when he has the free air'', says Marko in conversation with Motorsport-total.com.
Norris error
The fact that Perez ruined his chances of a sure podium in Austria with an ambitious overtake of Lando Norris, Marko does not see as a problem. ''I think it's logical. If you can't get in front, then you try on the outside. That's where Norris pushed him off the track, and he got a penalty for that as well.''
''That's what went wrong. Drivers have to give each other space. That was a mistake by Norris. He saw Perez there and should have given him space. Perez tried, but it failed. I prefer that to a boring driver who stays behind. He had to try,'' the Austrian concluded.
Almost same level when Perez is so poor in quali and race starts? Really? I don't understand how the start is not in the race. Anyway, if Marko says so..
How thoughtful of you... so Norris did not end Checo's career or you are saving that for later when you don't renew his contract... funny guy!! Or is it bcoz Checo went n did same to Charl... then its acceptanle....
There is only a few that's on Max Verstappen's level........George,Charles,Norris......
Almost lapped by Verstappen in the race.... but almost on Verstappen's level. Characters around F1, are often admirable only for their ability to tell jokes without laughing as they tell them. Any one of the drivers whose contract RedBull didn't renew could do as well and better than Perez today with this year's RedBull.
Disagree...almost lapped because he got run off the track and the result was P10 behind a procession of slower cars holding him up...not to mention he took on front wing damage. And to say any previous driver could do as well...they didn't, that simple. The key to driving for RB is the handling of pressure. That is where Perez reigns supreme. The car is soooo much better? It's the same car as Max and he hasn't finished out of the Top 5 but once in Imola. Austria was a driven P5. Previous drivers had the exact same car as Max and taking results into account, simply did not deliver. You have no idea the pressure of that seat. He tried for that pass on Lando because I guarantee he was told to pass him IMMEDIATLEY and get behind Max. There is no "I can't do it"...because that is exactly how Gasley and Albon both responded. Perez has the balls and the skill to get it done and get it done when the team tells him to. Night and Day difference between him and his predecessors and is why he will be in RB for another year.
The only difference is a great ass, having jumped on a very high performance car, after another year of a great ass, driving the second highest performing car on the grid (a pink painted Mercedes), winning, with another incredible great ass a race (if they repeated that race a thousand times, he would never win it again). ...and by the way, he almost got lapped because he got a bad start and because, he was stuffed like a thrush by Norris, and again, like he did with Ocon in Force India, he tried to throw Leclerc off the road twice.
How can it be a driven p5 if he pushed a driver off twice, you can't just discount his penalties because they were there for a reason
Perez is making it look really impossible for Gasly to come back.
