"Red Bull are now showing they have only one goal: To compete with Mercedes"

Red Bull confirmed on Friday the long-awaited news that Sergio Perez will replace Alex Albon in 2021. Albon, whose performance over the past year has left a large gap to his teammate, will stay at Red Bull Racing as the test and reserve driver. Is this the right decision, GPblog.com asked Tim Coronel.

"Super cool," is the first reaction of Coronel, who immediately removes any possible doubt about his opinion. “Great, both for Perez and Max. I think this is a better option than anything else. ”

Verstappen has nothing to fear from Perez

Verstappen has almost always been fighting with Mercedes on his own for the past two years. A second driver who could make it difficult for Valtteri Bottas and Lewis Hamilton could provide a big advantage, especially from a strategic point of view.

However, should Perez be able to do this, it may also have negative consequences for Verstappen. Can Perez take on the Dutchman?

“I think he will battle every now and then, but I would like to see if he is better regularly. I do not believe it. So he doesn't have to ignore himself, he just has to get the most out of it and Max will drive anyway," he added. 

Red Bull opt for someone outside the junior set-up

The task for Perez therefore seems simple: He doesn't have to beat Verstappen, but the gap must be smaller than was the case with Albon. Coronel thinks they have the right man for this with the Mexican. “They only go for one thing, that is clear: the championship. You have to dare to take these steps for that. ”

Coronel is also referring to the choice of a driver outside their own junior program. “I see that as a positive thing and that they only go for one thing: the maximum. I think Max is fast enough and we don't have to worry about that. I think Red Bull are now showing that they have only one goal and that is to compete with Mercedes for the championship. ”

But what if Perez turns out not to be a blow faster than Albon? Then Red Bull cuts a bad figure. “Yes, that's up to Perez. But he is a bit more experienced and I think he is also a bit more driven than Albon. I mean the drive to really go to the maximum because what he has shown in the last races is quite powerful ", said Tim Coronel.

This article was written and originally published by Pelle on the Dutch edition of GPblog.com.