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Sergio Perez has had a good start to the season at Red Bull. In the first five races, he has already scored four podiums and is comfortably second in the championship. So much so, that there are already suggestions that the Mexican should be given his contract extension.
The end of the 2023 F1 season was a tumultuous one for Sergio Perez. He was unable to qualify well and struggled to be anywhere close to his teammate Max Verstappen. So much so that Red Bull was quite openly looking for alternatives. Daniel Ricciardo was one name that floated and it also saw the Australian make a return to F1.
If Ricciardo had made an undeniable case at RB against Yuki Tsunoda, then he would have found himself next to Max Verstappen, and Sergio Perez would have lost his seat. On the contrary, the Australian has struggled at RB while Perez has had a strong run.
There have been suggestions from the Mexican himself that a contract extension is just around the corner, even though that has been dismissed by Red Bull boss Christian Horner. In all this, however, there is one claim that has not been verified until now.
That claim is whether Sergio Perez is having his best season at Red Bull. To ratify this claim, let's take a look at the numbers and see how his seasons stack up. For comparison, we'll take a look only at the new ground effect era because Perez was only in his first season with the team in 2021.
So, is Sergio Perez having his best season at Red Bull? Let's see what the numbers say.
Comparing the first 5 races of Sergio Perez vs Max Verstappen (2022 to 2024)
#1 Max vs Sergio in 2024
Qualifying: 5-0
Race: 4-0
Points: 110-85
This season, it's been a clean sweep for Max against Sergio in both qualifying and the race. Perez has been consistent in terms of scoring points but has more or less been behind Max. In the only race in Australia where both drivers struggled due to conditions, Max was still comfortably ahead and would have finished ahead if not for the brake issue.
In 2024, while Sergio Perez has gotten the podiums, he's been a step behind his teammate in general.
#2 Max vs Sergio in 2023
Qualifying: 3-2
Race: 3-2
Points: 93-87
In 2023, after the first 5 races of the season, the situation was quite interesting, even in terms of a championship battle. After the first five races, we have the qualifying and the race head-to-head at '3-2'. Perez had won two races by this point and Max had three wins to his name.
In terms of point standings, Max was only six points ahead of Sergio at this point, even though we all remember how he just took off after this point.
#3 Max vs Sergio in 2022
Qualifying: 4-1
Races: 3-0
Points: 85-66
In the 2022 F1 season, the qualifying head-to-head was 4-1 in favor of Max. The only blip was the race in Jeddah, where Sergio Perez got pole position. After the first five races, Max had a 19-point lead over his Mexican teammate, even though his real battle was with Charles Leclerc for the title at that stage.
Conclusion
Looking at the numbers, it's safe to say that the 2024 F1 season is not the best start to the season for Sergio. The driver has been a step behind his teammate in each session this year. Compared to the first five races head-to-head of the last two years, Perez was mighty competitive in 2023.
In 2022 as well, he had his moment and nicked one on Max Verstappen in Jeddah in qualifying. None of that has happened this season. Looking at the numbers, can we say that this is the best start to the season for the Mexican? On the contrary, this might be the worst.
