Nevertheless, as the future - and past examples Pierre Gasly and Alexander Albon (now at Alpine and Williams respectively) - later revealed, Perez was not responsible for the seemingly endless streak of poor results that flared particularly after the early stages of the 2024 campaign.

A number of crashes and repeated failures to reach Q3 piled on the pressure, with Perez facing incessant fire from the media while also taking shots from one of Red Bull’s high-ranking chiefs - until recently Dr Helmut Marko - with ousted team principal Christian Horner joining the Austrian after another poor result at the 2024 Mexican Grand Prix.

Tensions only grew when Verstappen sealed the Drivers’ title while the Mexican finished P8, thereby becoming the logical culprit behind Red Bull’s inability to clinch a third consecutive Constructors’ title. By winter, the Mexican driver had been thanked for the services rendered and sent on his way.

Liam Lawson, the driver chosen over a fallen-from-grace Daniel Ricciardo from the 2024 Singapore Grand Prix onwards, was handed the step up to fill Perez’s seemingly ‘small shoes’. The New Zealander’s lack of confidence painted a murky picture in which Lawson’s talent was nowhere to be seen. Two races later, the trigger was pulled and Yuki Tsunoda was promoted to the seat alongside Verstappen ahead of his home Grand Prix in Suzuka.

More of the same followed. Inconsistency, a lack of progression, wide-ranging results, and a proclivity for ending up on the wrong half of the grid. The seemingly unshrinkable gap to Verstappen, a few crashes and many woeful performances later, and for the third time in two years, another Red Bull driver was told to pack his bags - with both failing to match even Perez’s worst stint as a Red Bull driver.

As Red Bull’s champion, the team is naturally more inclined - and rightly so - to listen to Verstappen's input. However, the Verstappen-focused approach the team has shown for years - one of the reasons behind Ricciardo’s departure back in 2018 - has come at the expense of the second car.

While Verstappen’s talent is unquestionable, with driver adaptability proving such a profound issue in recent times - just look at Lewis Hamilton’s first season at Ferrari - those handed the second seat are already fighting a losing battle. Perez himself proved it. When the car suited him, he beat Verstappen on merit. That is how crucial driver suitability truly is.

The Verstappen dependence that has yielded four Drivers’ titles, two Constructors’ Championships, and 71 race wins, however, comes with an expiration date - one that could arrive as early as three years from now should the Dutch champion choose to retire from Formula 1 once his current contract expires at the end of the 2028 season.

Isack Hadjar, the debut-season podium finisher tasked with inheriting Red Bull’s second seat, has already shown brilliance, grit, temperament and the hallmarks of title-winning material previously displayed by Formula 1 champions - effectively signing his name as a potential heir to Verstappen.

As such, he too warrants faith and a meaningful say in the development direction of Red Bull’s cars. Otherwise, Hadjar risks an early, unfair, and potentially career-ending blow - just like those who came before him.

'Checo' Perez said the toughest period of his career was his 2013 season at McLaren, not his time at Red Bull. Read his explanation as to why here.

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