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In all likelihood, Sergio Perez's time at Red Bull looks like it might be coming to an end. The Mexican has been a part of the team since 2021 and played a crucial role in helping Max Verstappen win the title that season. His defence against Lewis Hamilton in the Turkish GP that season as well as the last race in Abu Dhabi was impeccable. Even Max Verstappen had affectionately nicknamed him the Mexican minister of defense for his exploits.
In the midst of all this though, there's one thing that stood out in 2021. Sergio Perez was some distance off Max Verstappen in terms of pace. However, compared to his predecessors Alex Albon and Pierre Gasly, he was a bit more reliable. He won a race in Baku and helped Max Verstappen to the podium as well which helped his cause.
The 2022 F1 season was admirable enough as Sergio Perez won a couple of races again. However, if there was one thing that was obvious again, it was the fact that the Mexican was some way off his teammate in terms of pace. The 2023 F1 season started well, but after the first 4 races where Sergio Perez won two races, things have unravelled for the worse. The Mexican hasn't won a race in 10 events and has been comfortably second best to Max Verstappen.
The inconsistency and the fallibility in qualifying have been a major concern to his team. So much so that it appears now that Helmut Marko seems to have run out of patience. The Red Bull chief advisor continues to make disparaging statements about Sergio Perez in the media but the recent one in which he himself hinted that Lando Norris will prove to be a great fit at Red Bull was just the sign that showed maybe Sergio Perez's future at the team is all but over.
In all of this though, there's one comment from Helmut Marko about Sergio Perez that is just crossing the line. In one of his latest interviews with Servus TV where he almost confirmed that Red Bull is going shopping for a different driver, Marko said:
"Sergio is already over 30 and is expecting his fourth child. So he also has other interests, so you have to see what happens next”
It is comments like these that are not justified under any circumstances. For a team as illustrious as Red Bull and someone as industrious as Helmut Marko, these jibes about Sergio's personal life are unacceptable. Most importantly, the least Sergio Perez deserves from Red Bull is a respectful exit if the fat lady has already sung.
Helmut Marko's comments have gotten out of hand
It's safe to say that Helmut Marko has been on a crusade of his own in the last few race weekends. His demeanor, his tone, and his words betray the fact that the Austrian is not impressed with Sergio Perez on the team.
Every race weekend there is one comment after the other. Even though Christian Horner has tried to be the mediator in all of this and continued to try and put out fires, Marko has been in no mood to relent. While there's nothing wrong with a team deciding that it does not want one driver in the squad, the media comments have gotten out of hand.
Marko's recent tirade where he brought up Sergio Perez's personal life is downright disappointing. It's reached a point where Perez might start feeling suffocated owing to the kind of comments that have been made about his life outside the track.
If you don't want his services then just let him go
While Red Bull would want to believe that the team is better than Mercedes in every aspect, driver management is one area the team would do well to reflect upon. When Valtteri Bottas was about to be dropped by Mercedes, the team did not make an announcement of his departure until Bottas got a seat at Alfa Romeo for 2022. This is the least that a team can do for a driver who has been part of the team's success for multiple seasons.
Sergio Perez has been part of the Red Bull success story since 2021. In each of the team's glorious moments, the Mexican has been a part of it. If the team feels that the partnership is over and a replacement is being queued in the wings, Perez should be dutifully informed and afforded the dignity of a respectful exit.
More importantly, Helmut Marko does not need to drag Sergio's name through the mud every time in the media. F1 is a sport where alliances are made and broken all the time. The same could be done cordially without making it a sour affair.
Sergio Perez played an important role in Max Verstappen's first title in 2021
As I mentioned earlier, Sergio Perez has been a critical part of the Red Bull success story. One could even argue that he was one of the catalysts that kicked it all off in 2021. What if Sergio Perez was not the best teammate ever in Abu Dhabi in 2021? What if he had not held Lewis Hamilton back for multiple laps and helped Max Verstappen close the gap?
Essentially it was Perez being an amazing teammate that helped Max Verstappen win the title that night in Abu Dhabi. These kinds of contributions should not be taken lightly by a team. The Mexican might not have been the ideal teammate for Max but nobody can deny that he was certainly the best one he has had until now.
In conclusion, it is important to say that if Red Bull has made up its mind that Sergio Perez should not be part of the team in 2024 then that's not a big surprise. The driver has not been up to the mark. However, this can be done with far more class and by being more respectful of the Mexican.
Why? Because he deserves it!
