Analysis | Perez is making the junior talents look seriously impressive

Sergio Perez became one of the most highly anticipated winter transfers in recent Formula 1 history when Red Bull Racing confirmed the deal. The young talents of Pierre Gasly and Alex Albon had been swept aside for an experienced head who had been swept aside himself by the team then known as Racing Point. 

Perez arrived with two jobs to complete. First: To support Max Verstappen’s bid to beat Lewis Hamilton and Mercedes in the World Championship. And to help win the Constructors’ Championship. 15 races in and the first job is actually going really well for Christian Horner’s team. After two Mercedes strong-hold circuits, Hamilton leads the Championship but just the width of a cigarette paper separates the two drivers. 

The ‘number two’ drivers have played a part in some races, but in the grand scheme of things, they’ve had little to do with the title fight so far. Certainly nowhere near as much as some predicted. Compared to previous years, Valtteri Bottas has underperformed this season. And Perez has continued on exactly the same trend and trajectory recorded by Gasly and Albon. 

Verstappen alone 

Out of the 15 races, Perez has started in the top four just six times. Only once has the Mexican started from the front row. The history books will tell you Perez has managed to beat Verstappen twice in qualifying, but he’s only managed to do it once on merit given the Dutchman didn’t set a timed lap in Russia. 

Hardly an improvement from the youth. The average starting position shows Perez is pretty much on par with Gasly and Albon. In the same time frame, Verstappen has managed to secure 11 pole positions. 

Race pace

Perez has a bank of knowledge. Over his 11 seasons, the Mexican has raced for Sauber, McLaren, Force India (Racing Point) and now Red Bull. A plethora of different cars, and not forgetting the ‘pink Mercedes’ of Racing Point in 2020. 

He’s no mug. He took midfield cars to the podium and helped secure Force India’s back-to-back best of the rest World Championship finishes in 2016 and 2017. And to be fair, he has always been known as a tyre management expert, coming to the forefront during Grands Prix. That’s his main strength after all. 

More of the same

It’s pretty much a mirror image. Gasly and Albon picked up their fair share of criticism for the results they achieved in the second Red Bull car. With Perez producing virtually a mirror image, it’s actually making the youth look good. Talking about making the youth look good, since the British Grand Prix in July George Russell has scored the exact same points total as Perez. The Williams driver scored 16 points. Perez, in a World Championship contending car, has also scored 16 points. 

Of course, Russell has seen a bit of luck. His podium finish in the Belgian Grand Prix wouldn’t have happened in dry conditions. But it’s still remarkable. Verstappen has scored more than 16 points in two Grands Prix during the same period. For further comparison, Bottas scored 59 points. 

And all that highlights the problem. The car is finely tuned to Verstappen’s driving style. It has been developed around Verstappen. It’s Verstappen’s car and team. There were whispers about it in 2019 and 2020, but Perez’s arrival shows Red Bull’s exact problem. And Daniel Ricciardo’s sudden departure supported the same point. It’s all well and good if Verstappen wins the 2021 World Championship. In fact, if Red Bull Racing win the Constructors’ Championship then they’ve found a perfect balance. But the latter is looking unlikely with a 33 point gap from Red Bull to Mercedes already. 

The rule and regulation book is getting reprinted over the winter. And Red Bull must focus on getting their next generation of car to work better with both of their drivers. With a tighter midfield and the likes of Ferrari and McLaren moving upwards, they have to solve this.