Red Bull’s Dilemma: Is Perez’s Extension More About Keeping Verstappen Content Than Performance?

Concerns Expressed Over Sergio Perez's Situation: "It's a Frequent Occurrence"

"Part of the reason for Checo's contract is to maintain Max's satisfaction"

It has been argued that Sergio Perez often loses important points, raising questions about why he received a new contract with Red Bull.

Perez appeared to put rumors about his future to rest by agreeing to a new deal that will keep him teamed up with Max Verstappen at Red Bull through 2025.

Back-to-back poor performances in the Monaco and Canada Grand Prix have reignited the debate over whether he is the right fit for the top car in Formula 1.

During an interview on the Sky F1 podcast, Damon Hill discussed Perez's performance at the F1 Canadian Grand Prix, describing it as a complete disaster.

"Initially, he appeared to be only a fraction of a second behind Max, effectively keeping pace and providing support, but in the most recent races, things have taken a disastrous turn for Checo."

"His performance in Monaco was somewhat his own doing, but he also didn't manage to qualify well."

"Could things deteriorate further? Absolutely!"

"However, we can only hope it won't happen…"

Perez did not advance beyond Q1 in both the Monaco and Canada races and did not finish either event.

The timing was ironic considering that Red Bull overlooked other interesting choices to offer him an extended opportunity to drive their prized car.

Perez's contract extension aims to appease Max

Naomi Schiff commented, “The general feeling is that part of the reason for Checo's contract renewal is to keep Max content and avoid bringing in another driver who might take points away from him."

"We have observed teams where both drivers are very fast, competing against each other on the track – such as Carlos and Charles, Lando and Oscar…"

"That can occasionally result in negative outcomes, costing both your drivers and others valuable points."

"That aspect partly explains why they decided to retain Checo."

"However, considering the teams I talked about and their consistent performance in scoring points, it raises the question: Is Checo losing his team valuable points if he isn't consistently finishing in point-scoring positions?"

"It seems that Canada might have had some bad luck, and a few factors didn't work out in their favor."

"From where I stand, it seems to occur frequently. I don't quite get it."

Hill called on Red Bull to provide more support to their underperforming driver, stating, "Regarding Checo, they shouldn't be concerned about Max."

"They should rally around Checo and provide him with all the assistance necessary to advance his position in the race."

"Because it's incredibly important for them in the constructors' championship and crucial for Max."

However, Schiff inquired, "What actions can they take to accomplish this?"

Hill responded by saying, "Perhaps decision-making plays a role in it."

"Ensuring he has an unobstructed lap during qualifying and has the correct tires at the appropriate moment."

"All supporters of Checo are ensuring he can perform at his highest level, as he hasn't been able to achieve that yet."

“Regardless of the reasons, the decisions made were poor and the timing was unfortunate.”

"Not everything can be attributed to misfortune. You might have bad luck occasionally, but it can't happen every single time."

Schiff expressed his surprise over the two-year agreement, noting that it was later clarified to be structured as a one-year deal with an option for an additional year, leaving its future development uncertain.

"My hypothesis remains that their efforts are aimed at ensuring Max's satisfaction."

"There are still rumors that Max might join Mercedes."

"If the team had brought in a driver that Max didn't approve of, such as Carlos Sainz, it might have driven him away from the team."

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