Athletistic/Formula 1. Red Bull has announced that Sergio Perez will remain with the team for the next two seasons. This time around, the Mexican driver was offered a contract extension quite early on, and the move raises several questions given that Sergio Pérez has by no means been able to produce anything close to what the team expected of him. Perez is struggling not only to compete with Max Verstappen, but also simply to score points consistently, and he has found himself much lower in the championship standings than expected from Red Bull’s number two. Why then did Red Bull decide to offer Sergio Perez a two-year contract?

Lack of alternative

The biggest problem for Red Bull was the lack of an alternative for the team. Daniel Ricciardo was a big disappointment. Yuki Tsunoda just isn’t ready in Horner and Marco’s eyes. That leaves Carlos Sainz. The Spaniard is a driver the team could consider.

Apart from these options, Gasly was not considered, Ocon does not have the best relationship with Verstappen and Albon signed a long-term contract. With that in mind, the team didn’t have many options.

Red Bull has differences with Max Verstappen

Red Bull’s relationship with Max Verstappen isn’t the best either. Jos Verstappen continues to be cold and sarcastic when it comes to comments about the team. He also ensured that each step highlighted the difference that Max Verstappen makes to the team.

Added to this is a clear tension between Red Bull and Helmut Marko. Despite all this, Christian Horner knows the value of Max Verstappen and would like to keep him in the team. Perhaps having a less competitive teammate pushed Christian Horner to re-sign Sergio Perez. Signing a stronger, more ambitious driver could push Verstappen out of the team. Perez has been with the team for a long time and Verstappen has developed a stable partnership with him.

Sergio Perez is a commercial success

The Mexican driver has established himself as a superstar in his home country. Red Bull’s sales in Mexico have soared and Perez almost always receives a hero’s welcome back home. From a business perspective, Perez is an ideal option; moreover, there is simply no jumper on the market comparable in strength and popularity.

Vyacheslav Gorbachev, Athletistic



Athletistic