Possible luxury problem for Red Bull: 'That could end in tears'

Sergio Perez will be Max Verstappen 's new teammate in 2021 and that is something Marc Priestley is looking forward to. The former McLaren mechanic doesn't expect the Mexican to settle for a role as second driver.

Red Bull Racing has tried to give talents a chance alongside Max Verstappen over the past two years, but Alexander Albon and Pierre Gasly both couldn't manage it. Perez, with his experience, should be the ideal second man alongside Verstappen. Priestley is looking forward immensely to his performance at Red Bull.

''I'm really looking forward to that. His body language didn't exude as much confidence as Verstappen's, but that's not surprising. He talked about needing time to get used to the specifics of this car, but his advantage over Albon and Gasly is that he has experience'', says Priestley in his new video.

The Formula One analyst, therefore, believes that Red Bull Racing have made a good move by recruiting the Mexican. ''I think he will be very strong and that's exactly what Red Bull Racing needs. He might just need some races to settle in.''

Yet such a strong driver also has drawbacks. With Albon and Gasly, it was clear Verstappen was the frontrunner and was preferred in different situations. According to Priestley, this will be a lot harder with Perez. The Mexican has fought battles with Jenson Button and Esteban Ocon before, and will not stop fighting Verstappen easily either.

''I'll tell you one thing: You won't get Perez to say that he won't race Verstappen if he's close to him. There is no chance that Perez has come to Red Bull to be number two. If those two are really sitting together, then that's a big problem for Red Bull which they need to start managing. If they start getting in each other's way, then you know it could end in tears,'' Priestley concludes.