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Towards the end of the 2020 F1 season, Sergio Perez experienced two rollercoaster weekends. At the Sakhir Grand Prix, hosted in Bahrain, Perez started from the back of the grid and won his first-ever F1 race after 190 starts. In the very next race, the season finale in Abu Dhabi, Perez retired halfway through the race, completely uncertain about his future in F1, and had no confirmed seat for the 2021 season.
Soon after, Red Bull announced that Sergio Perez would be paired up with Max Verstappen for next season, replacing Alex Albon. While this was a great move up the ladder for the Mexican, the Milton-Keynes unit had a rather controversial history of dropping off their drivers who had not performed to the level of Red Bull's expectations.
Sergio Perez took time to perform in the car, making it suitable for his driving style and finer racecraft. When he finally got settled in the unit, he delivered to the level Red Bull had been missing for the majority of the last few seasons.
Perez and his 2021 season
Sergio Perez impressed everyone in just his second race with Red Bull when he out-qualified Verstappen to start the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix from second position. Although he lost the advantage right at the start and eventually finished outside points with a spin, this was enough for Red Bull bosses to show more faith in him.
As the season progressed, Sergio Perez showed his real talent for masterful racecraft and perfect tire management on numerous occasions. He managed to keep his tires to last for a long stint at the Monaco Grand Prix to finish fourth, starting behind Lewis Hamilton. He managed to race at the same pace as Hamilton and Verstappen in the Azerbaijan Grand Prix and eventually won his second career race after Verstappen suffered a late puncture. He then managed his tires once again at the French Grand Prix for a late pit stop and snatched the final podium spot from Bottas in the closing stages. He almost executed a two-stop strategy at the Styrian Grand Prix, only to finish behind Bottas by less than a second.
Sergio Perez played the ultimate team game to deny Hamilton the fastest lap point in the British Grand Prix, sacrificing his race from eighth position. He then finished eighth, starting from pit lane at the Dutch Grand Prix, and almost finished on the podium at Monza. He drove a fantastic race in Austin without drinks available on a hot race day to finish third, and almost caught Hamilton in his home race in Mexico to finish third.
The Sergio Perez Defense
While Sergio Perez was well recognized and acknowledged for his clever racecraft, his masterful defense was on full display for the world to see at the Turkish Grand Prix. Lewis Hamilton was in charge starting eleventh on the grid in the race. But when he started closing in on Perez, he defended his position from Hamilton to the absolute limits. The Briton even pushed Perez to the pit lane entry at one stage, but his excellent defense denied the seven-time world champion any chance of catching Verstappen or finishing on the podium.
The world, however, witnessed and celebrated Sergio Perez's real teamwork in the season finale at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. He sacrificed his lap on the final run during qualifying to give Verstappen a brilliant tow, pushing him to the front of the grid. Then, starting in the fourth, Perez quickly got ahead of McLaren's Lando Norris and kept up with Hamilton-Verstappen's pace in the lead with a fast-fading soft compound.
The defining moment of the race for Sergio Perez came when both leaders pitted and Lewis Hamilton emerged behind him. Hamilton set the fastest lap with each passing lap and quickly managed to get in Perez's DRS window. But Perez masterfully placed his car perfectly on track, forcing Hamilton to go wide on Lap 20 to retake the lead. He backed off Hamilton almost six seconds into charge to let Max Verstappen pass, coming from third, nearly eleven seconds behind when Hamilton emerged out of the pits. Perez's stunning defense forced Hamilton to stay in the dirty air of Red Bull for one extra lap and almost helped Verstappen catch Hamilton on Lap 21.
Sergio Perez's heroics denied Lewis Hamilton any chance of pulling away quickly from Max Verstappen and helped the Dutchman stay within a pit stop window of the Briton in the event of a VSC or Safety Car. As it unfolded in the end, it was a safety car that eventually decided the winner of this race and winner of the Drivers' Championship as well. Perez was just as equally responsible for the win as Verstappen and his side of the garage. It is justified that Red Bull gave Perez an extension on his contract for 2022, which Christian Horner and the entire F1 community are confident will be even more helpful for Red Bull for a new challenge next season.
