Sergio Pérez’s stay at Red Bull Racing for two more seasons should not surprise anyone. The contract extension until the end of 2026 is due to the best result that a second driver has obtained in the team’s history by finishing second overall in the Formula 1 World Drivers’ Championship in 2023. Checo gave Red Bull the only 1-2 in history, and that had to be rewarded in some way.
Are there better drivers than the Mexican? Yes, definitely. Are there better seat options at Red Bull? No, nobody. And a second pilot must possess certain qualities and Checo has all of them. It is not about signing a driver who represents an internal fight, but rather a midfielder who adds, defends and supports driver 1 in his search for the championship; and In the entire history of the team, there has been no one like Checo…
GREEN FLAG… Since 2020, with his arrival to the team, Checo has shown great maturity that contrasts with Max Verstappen’s previous teammates. He did not seek to pass him or be a direct competitor, but he was present when the Dutchman had problems, dropped out, or simply could not fight for the podium. Thus, he has achieved (only with Red Bull) five wins, 29 podiums and three pole positions. But perhaps the most notable moment in his teammate duties was during the 2021 Abu Dhabi final, when he protected Max from Lewis Hamilton’s attacks, and that They gave him the nickname “Mexican Minister of Defense” and the phrase “Checo is a legend”, expressed by Verstappen…
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ENTRANCE TO PITS… Checo is 34 years old and looks in good physical shape, so thinking about two more seasons seems like a wise decision on the part of the world champion team. The confirmation of Pérez as the team’s second driver may not come at his best (and even less so after the Monaco accident), however – and analyzing the Mexican’s behavior in his 14 seasons – this is not the case.
The announcement will give him the confidence he had lost in the last few rounds. The mind will return only to its performance in the cockpit and the media noise will disappear. We will see this “new Czech” this weekend, in Canada, on a circuit where he has never obtained a podium with Red Bull. He has only climbed once, in 2012, when he drove for Sauber, and it was only his second Top 3 finish in the series.
- His goal should be that, to add the most points after the dramatic fall that took him from second to fifth place, with Carlos Sainz, Lando Norris, and Charles Leclerc in front of him…
PITS EXIT… And just as tranquility and focus must return to Checo starting this Friday at the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve in Montreal, concern increases for the drivers who aspired to that seat.
Only three of the 10 teams have confirmed their lineup (Red Bull, Ferrari and McLaren), while four teams have announced one of their drivers. There are 10 places left free, that is, 50% of the grid, a very high percentage that worries the incumbents due to the arrival of the new generations of Formula 2 graduates, the drivers looking to return and the already existing market.
- Esteban Ocon joined the list of drivers who do not have a seat for 2025, after this Monday Alpine announced that they will not renew it…
CHECKERED FLAG… Canada will be the round where the “The Hunger Games”. To the attractive drivers who are on the grid today and who are looking for a contract (Carlos Sainz, Valtteri Bottas, Pierre Gasly, Yuki Tsunoda), young people join them like Oliver Bearman, Andrea Kimi Antonelli, Felipe Drogovich and even talent from the IndyCar Series, such as Alex Palou and Patricio O’Ward…And no, I’m not exaggerating, after seeing the support they have in the American market (which has three Grand Prix) and the poor performances of Logan Sargeant.
- That’s how things are… on wheels.
