How will the Verstappen-Perez partnership work for Red Bull?

Feb. 2 - It was one of Formula One’s worst kept secrets, but last last year the news that Sergio Perez was joining Red Bull was made official. The Mexican driver will be driving alongside Max Verstappen, and F1 fans are already predicting that it could be an explosive meeting of driving styles.

Verstappen is well known for his fiery and unpredictable driving, and the Dutchman will be keen for 2021 to be his best year yet. At 31-years of age, Sergio Perez might have more experience. But Perez will be desperate to prove his racing skill with a much better car.

While Verstappen will be expected to be the number one driver for Red Bull, it seems unlikely that Perez will just get brushed aside. So will this meeting of worlds help Red Bull provide better competition for Mercedes, or will it be another frustrating season for the racing team?

Many Formula 1 fans will want to compare UK bookies with this list to see who’s currently leading in the odds. Although it would be brave to bet against Lewis Hamilton claiming his fifth successive F1 drivers championship title, Verstappen might just have what it takes to put in a decent challenge.

Can Verstappen make room for Perez?

Max Verstappen has already said that he’s looking forward to racing alongside his new Red Bull teammate. He said that Perez at Red Bull would mean that the second car is able put more pressure on the team’s opponents.

Verstappen’s previous teammate Alex Albon was able to do this at some races like the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, but the relationship failed to produce the goods for Red Bull for the remainder of the season. This is because Mercedes in particular was able to work well by having one driver cover for the other. As a result, Verstappen spent much of 2020 being frustrated behind Hamilton and Valtteri Bottas.

But Verstappen has said that he hopes that Perez will be able to push the whole team forward, and said that to have a teammate pushing him was ‘exciting’. Not that Verstappen will need much encouragement, as the Dutch star has already proven to be one of the most exciting drivers to hit the F1 scene in years.

While his driving style has frequently been called unpredictable or even dangerous, Verstappen is looking much more settled. Despite this, it’s hoped that 2021 can give the Dutch star a better chance of getting close to Hamilton and Bottas. Verstappen started 2020 with hopes of giving Hamilton in particular realistic competition for the driver’s championship. But by the conclusion of the 2020 F1 season, the Red Bull driver finished a distant 133 points behind Hamilton.

Verstappen suffered five retirements in the 2020 season, and Red Bull are expected to deliver some big changes in the design of the car. It has been suggested that up to 40% of the Red Bull car in 2021 will feature new designs. Much of this will improve on aerodynamic anomalies suffered last year, and it should be noted that 2021 will be the last season that Honda engines will be powering the cars. Plus with Verstappen signing a new contract with Red Bull until 2021, it’s going to be a critical season for the 23-year old.

High hopes for Perez at Red Bull

Sergio Perez was headhunted to join Red Bull after having a career-best season at Racing Point. The Mexican driver was brought into replace Alex Albon who was felt to have underperformed at Red Bull. Albon’s lack of pace was thought to have been a big reason why Verstappen was unable to catch up to the Mercedes drivers Hamilton and Bottas.

Sergio Perez, Racing Point, 1st position, celebrates on the podium in Bahrain

While there were a wide number of potential candidates for the new Red Bull job, the shortlist was quickly whittled down to Perez. The Mexican driver had his best year in Formula 1 in 2020 despite being unable to take part in two Grand Prix races as a result of testing positive for Covid 19. From here Perez put in a series of commanding performances. These included a podium finish at the Turkish Grand Prix, and he was unlucky not to claim a similar result in Bahrain.

But Perez saved his best for the Sakhir Grand Prix. This saw the Mexican star claiming the chequered flag despite being hit by Charles Leclerc on the first lap. Perez was shunted down from  second place to last, but put in a racing masterclass to edge ahead of Esteban Ocon and Lance Stroll to claim first place.

All of which has meant that hopes are high that Perez can recreate this form for Red Bull this season. But with a number of F1 races being postponed due to the pandemic, racing fans may have to wait until the Bahrain Grand Prix on 28 March to finally see how the new Red Bull driver gels together.

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