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Sergio Perez will be the darling of Red Bull after his drive at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. He held up Lewis Hamilton and brought Max Verstappen back into contention without ever crossing the line. The impact of his defensive driving was such that Verstappen called Perez 'a legend' during the race. In this article, we take a look at the Mexican's 2021 F1 season.
How did Sergio Perez's F1 2021 season look statistically?
For the 31-year-old, the highlight of the season was always going to be his drive in Baku. After a rocky start to the season, Sergio Perez announced himself at Red Bull on one of his favorite tracks.
He drove brilliantly throughout the weekend and had the pace to challenge for the win. With Max Verstappen retiring because of a puncture, Perez picked up where Max left off and went on to win his first race with Red Bull after the red flag restart.
Other than that, Perez did pick up a few podiums here and there. Finishing behind Bottas, however, is surely going to sting when the euphoria of the season finale wears off.
- Points: 190
- Position: 4th
- Podiums: 4
- Wins: 1
What worked for Sergio Perez?
Checo, as Sergio Perez is fondly known, stayed true to the reputation of being a great racer, in his first year at Red Bull. He would find himself in innocuous positions in the race but then execute superlative strategies to pick up crucial points almost every time.
The win at Baku, supplemented with some sturdy defense against Hamilton, stood out for Perez in a season where the spotlight was always on his team-mate.
What didn't work for Sergio Perez?
Qualifying has never been Sergio Perez's strongest skill and that is one thing that would worry Red Bull as they head into the 2022 season. With Checo, while you can guarantee a great racer, you can also guarantee an average qualifier.
For most of the season, the Mexican spent his race overtaking the cars that he should have qualified ahead of. As a result, he was never able to play a huge role in the Max-Lewis battle throughout the season.
This did change in the latter races in Abu Dhabi and Turkey. For the 2022 season, however, Perez will need to iron out his qualifying deficit if he wants a longer run at Red Bull.
What's next for Sergio Perez in the F1 2022 season?
For Sergio Perez, the most important aspect would be to get on top of his qualifying deficit at Red Bull so that he can make the most of his car's pace advantage.
With drivers like Pierre Gasly putting together undeniable performances, Perez cannot drop his guard and slip up. Red Bull is traditionally a ruthless team and will not think twice before replacing the Mexican with a younger, more promising alternative.
