In the immediate aftermath of Red Bull’s Sergio Perez contract announcement, there was plenty of criticism in F1 circles. This discussion is still ongoing as the Canadian GP weekend is close to commencing. Media outlets and fans alike have argued that Perez’s new deal is not the correct decision from a performance perspective. Helmut Marko, candid as ever, explained the thought process behind the team’s decision.
The 81-year-old has spoken recently about the dynamics within Red Bull. With Ferrari and McLaren closing the gap, F1 now has three teams regularly contending for race victories.
Canada could be another banana-skin event for Red Bull, with the Gilles Villeneuve circuit not necessarily playing to the RB20’s strengths.
In this context, Sergio Perez’s continuation at Milton Keynes is a head-scratcher for many. Not once in his three years alongside Max Verstappen has he finished within 150 points of the Dutchman.
To some observers, this creates an obvious weakness in the constructors’ Championship for Red Bull. Lando Norris, Oscar Piastri, Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz are all performing at a similarly high level. They are now all equipped with race-winning machinery.
Still, speaking with Kleine Zeitung, Helmut Marko explained the rationale behind extending Perez’s contract:
“We want to ensure continuity, and both drivers get on really well. There are simply no conflicts.
“Checo is also incredibly popular in Latin America. We sell more merchandise of his there than of Verstappen.
“And when he’s on form, he’s almost unbeatable.”
These statements confirm many of the hypotheses that have been developed to explain Red Bull’s decision.
For one, Perez is not a threat to Verstappen. Whilst the Mexican driver’s performance could be a limiting factor in the Championship, his presence will at least keep his teammate happy.
Perez’s commercial value is also well-established. The six-time race winner also brings significant sponsorship.
In combination, these factors seem to have overridden the 34-year-old’s limitations in terms of speed. With six rounds scheduled for the next two months, we will soon find out if Red Bull made the correct decision.
