Sergio Perez has been part of the golden period of the Red Bull F1 team. He helped Max Verstappen win the 2021 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. It marked the shift in F1 power. Since Max won his maiden title in 2021, he has not looked back. Why would he? As the Austrian F1 team took the idea of dominance in F1 Motorsport to another level. Christian Horner’s team has won 42 races since 2022. Max Verstappen alone won 38 races of those many GPs. On the other hand, Checo won only four. Moreover, 2023 saw a lot of ups and downs for the Mexican driver. He won two races of the first four Grands Prix last year. Initially, it looked like the fans could witness an epic Red Bull rivalry.
After winning his second race in 2023, Checo also claimed that he was ready to win his maiden title. But then things started changing since the Miami Grand Prix. He said the car felt different, and he lost consistency during the qualifying sessions. After a number of DNFs, Sergio Perez fell behind his teammate. In the end, Max Verstappen won the title comfortably with a huge gap between him and his teammate. Since then, Checo has had to deal with the pressure of losing his Red Bull seat soon enough. But the Mexican driver had an impressive start to the 2024 season. Albeit he has not won a race yet, he has been consistent so far. Perhaps this way he is solidifying his place in the Austrian team.
Former F1 Team Principal Believes Red Bull Should Stick With Sergio Perez
Recently, former team boss of Sergio Perez, Otmar Szafnauer, told reporters at an F1 event in Abu Dhabi that he would replace “Checo with Checo.” On top of that, Otmar put himself into Christian Horner’s shoes and said that if he were him, he would stick with the Mexican driver for another year, at least. The former Force India team principal said that Checo had some lows in the last few seasons. But in the ongoing season, Szafnauer said Sergio Perez needed to maintain finishing at higher spots, and he is doing just that. After five races, the Mexican driver is second behind his teammate Max Verstappen.
While talking about Checo’s teammate, Otmar mentioned, “Max Verstappen is just better.” However, the American team principal said, during an event promoting the Eventr travel app, that Checo was never a great qualifier. The strength of the Mexican driver lies in the racecraft. Otmar believes Sergio Perez does not make many mistakes while overtaking. Moreover, the former team boss of Checo said he manages his tires pretty well, which is a big advantage for him.
Checo Is Among The Old Drivers Currently Available In F1
Sergio Perez does not have age as his advantage. He is 34 years old. His teammate, Max Verstappen, is just 26 years old with three titles under his impressive resume. Moreover, the Dutch racer is on his way to winning his fourth title overall and on the trot. Among the old horses in the current F1 grid, there is Nico Hulkenberg who is 36 years old. Recently, he signed with Sauber for 2025, and then in 2026, he will drive for the new F1 team, Audi.
But the two oldest racers available on the grid are former World Champions Lewis Hamilton and Fernando Alonso. The seven-time champion will turn 40 when he wears Ferrari’s iconic “Red Uniform” next year. On the other hand, the two-time champion Alonso will stick with Aston Martin at 42.
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