The verdict is out on Sergio Perez’s future as Red Bull Racing has decided to extend his contract by additional two years i.e until 2026. However, the news has drawn mixed reactions from the fans across the Formula 1 fraternity. And the key reason behind the reservation is Checo’s performance.
While Max Verstappen has been driving in his own league since past couple of season, Sergio Perez was not even able to stay second in the same machinery. Amid this, Perez’s contract extension whilst the likes of Carlos Sainz being available on the market raised a lot of eyebrows. Let’s explore why Checo’s extension is a massive misstep by Red Bull?
1. Red Bull Rewarded Checo For His Poor Performance
Red Bull Racing’s top officials, including team principal Christian Horner and senior advisor Helmut Marko, were spitting venom against Sergio Perez last season when the driver finished 200+ points behind his teammate Max Verstappen in the drivers’ championship. Checo was about to lose his seat before the team decided to let out a second chance. But in 2024, Checo’s performance improvement was minimal. His qualifying woes are still the same, while his race performance has not improved by a large margin. So, on what basis did RB decide to extend Checo? Rewarding Perez with the most precious seat in F1 for his bad performance just sends out the wrong message.
2. Constructors Championship Remains At Risk
While Sergio Perez has accepted the reality of not being able to match up to teammate Max Verstappen, the least he can do is keep the rivals at bay to give Red Bull an edge in the constructors title. But Checo has failed miserably in the only job he has been assigned this year. In the past three races, McLaren and Ferrari have posed a tough challenge to Red Bull and are crawling up in the constructors’ leaderboard. At this rate, RB stands at a risk of losing the precious title only because Checo has not been able to fetch the desired points. On the flip side, both McLaren and Ferrari drivers are constantly finishing at the top, which has resulted in a steep jump in the leaderboard.
What If Max Verstappen Leaves Red Bull?
While the odds of Max Verstappen dumping a championship-winning car are low, the chatter and linkups to Mercedes went overboard this year after Christian Horner’s saga went up in flames. In a scenario where Verstappen does end up leaving Milton Keynes before 2026, Red Bull is at risk of having to sustain itself without a leading race winner. Sergio Perez is as good as number 2. If RB had gone for Carlos Sainz, we wouldn’t be having this debate at all, as Sainz is a proven race winner and a leading driver who gave Charles Leclerc a run for his money at Ferrari. Hence, if Max decided to pull the trigger, the drink-based outfit would be wandering around in search of immediate alternatives. That’s another reason why extending Sergio Perez is a bad call.
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