With a sad face, Sergio Pérez spoke to the media after the Spanish Grand Prix on Sunday. The Mexican had to make way for Max Verstappen twice in Barcelona, but had counted on him to get that place back from the Dutchman. A remarkable expectation, given his place within the team and Red Bull’s history.
“Not fair”, Pérez called his team’s call to step aside for Verstappen for a second time. Red Bull told him that the Dutchman was on a different strategy, which is always an equally useful but usually meaningless argument.
Pérez simply had to side with Verstappen, because the reigning world champion is the primary title contender. Nothing more and nothing less. Charles Leclerc’s outburst gave the Dutchman an excellent opportunity to take over the World Cup lead. It would have been irresponsible not to take advantage of that in the middle of the exciting battle with the Ferrari driver.
“Checo had to drive a very long Stint on the medium tires and the temperatures in his car rose,” team boss Christian Horner defended the call to his driver afterwards. “They ran a different race,” the Briton also referred to the varying strategies.
While they were both in the same race, which still revolves around who gets to the finish line first. If it is up to Red Bull, that is normally always Verstappen. That is why Pérez immediately had to give way when it turned out that both drivers ended up behind George Russell. Both Pérez and Verstappen then drove on the medium tire, in a fairly similar strategy.
No tactical statement
In recent years, it was mainly Valtteri Bottas who was in Pérez’s position. The Finn, too, sometimes had the illusion that he was fighting for his own chances, and was genuinely hurt when Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff once called him “Lewis Hamilton’s perfect wingman”. It was indeed not a tactical statement by the Austrian, but it was not a word of a lie.
Red Bull has a history with the second driver phenomenon. In recent years, Verstappen has always had teammates who did not come close to him anyway, but Daniel Ricciardo was able to do that until 2019. When the Australian realized in which position he ended up with the team, he chose the exit.
Two drivers received this obvious preferential treatment from Helmut Marko. Verstappen is now clearly the spearhead within the team, but from 2009 to 2013 that was Sebastian Vettel. In his first year, he took place next to Mark Webber.
Webber has to give up front wing
The Australian noticed in 2010 how the fork was in the stem. Both drivers had one new front wing during that year’s British Grand Prix. When Vettel’s broke down, the mechanics took the wing off Webber’s car. He made his displeasure clear, won the race a day later and then said “not bad for a second driver” over the on-board radio.
Webber had the gun factor and competed for the title until the last race of that year, but Vettel ultimately justified the preferential treatment. The German took the title, and in the three seasons that they drove together at Red Bull after that, it was impossible to keep up with Webber.
Sergio Pérez talks to the press after the race in Spain
Sergio Pérez talks to the press after the race in Spain Photo: Getty Images
Verstappen convincingly justifies the position he enjoys within Red Bull. And so the Limburger will also be the first to receive the new parts. That turned out to be Sunday. The DRS problem faced by the reigning world champion only occurred on his car. Verstappen had a few new lighter parts. They were not yet on Pérez’s car.
The 32-year-old Mexican must know deep down where he stands at Red Bull. Second driver on a top team is sometimes a thankless task, which is somewhat compensated; in that position you do have a good car. Only it is important that Pérez knows how to find the brake pedal at the right moments.