After 4 years, Sergio Perez’s stint as Max Verstappen’s crew mate is over.
He was the fifth driver to tackle what more and more appears like one of many hardest jobs in Formulation 1. However whereas Verstappen monopolised the drivers’ championship throughout that point, Purple Bull haven’t swept the constructors’ titles in the best way they did within the Sebastian Vettel-Mark Webber period.
Given the energy of competitors they confronted from Mercedes in 2021, Perez’s first 12 months on the crew, profitable that title was all the time going to be a stretch. However the 2024 constructors’ championship undoubtedly ought to have been theirs. Verstappen received the drivers’ title by 63 factors whereas Perez ended the 12 months 285 factors off his crew mate.
If 2021 was a one-sided affair between the 2 Purple Bull drivers, Perez loved a stronger 2022. Within the first 12 months of F1’s ‘floor impact’ rules there have been clearly instances when he discovered the automobile’s dealing with extra to his liking than Verstappen, and his affinity for momentary tracks particularly shone by.
That was seldom the case after the primary few rounds of 2023. That 12 months, Perez’s rising struggles have been obscured by the sheer dominance of Purple Bull’s RB19. Even so, his pair of wins paled compared to his crew mate’s 19, and Verstappen would have nonetheless received the title even when he hadn’t returned for the final 10 races after the summer season break.
There have been indicators in direction of the top of 2023 that Perez had rediscovered his type, and that continued into the primary races of this season. As Purple Bull crew principal Christian Horner was at pains to level out yesterday, Perez stood on the rostrum 4 instances within the first 5 rounds, which was apparently the purpose at which they determined to decide to him for 2 extra years.
With the good thing about hindsight, this appears like a disastrous name, as Perez by no means appeared within the high 5 once more all 12 months. He took simply 9 factors over the ultimate eight rounds, which was clearly unacceptable, and will have triggered the efficiency clauses in his contract Horner alluded to.
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Not that his two quick predecessors carried out considerably higher. Since Daniel Ricciardo left Purple Bull on the finish of 2018, Verstappen has loved near-total superiority over his crew mates.
Purple Bull have been clearly eager to reform the Verstappen-Ricciardo line-up when the chance to rehire their former driver appeared on the finish of 2022. However his stint again of their junior crew by no means satisfied them he may nonetheless carry out at that stage.
Apart from Ricciardo, just one driver has proven the potential to actually rival Verstappen: Carlos Sainz Jnr. He was in the marketplace when Horner made the fateful determination to rehire Perez, a name which looking back appears hasty at finest.
Verstappen’s efficiency in opposition to his F1 crew mates
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Qualifying comparability: Perez vs Verstappen
Unrepresentative comparisons omitted. Destructive worth: Verstappen was sooner; Optimistic worth: Perez was sooner
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Verstappen vs Perez – season-by-season
2021
2022
2023
2024
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