A seat at Red Bull Racing is one of the most coveted prizes in Formula 1, with every driver dreaming of driving the fastest car on the grid.
The position of Max Verstappen’s teammate has been somewhat of a curse however, with Daniel Ricciardo, Pierre Gasly and Alex Albon all struggling during their time partnering the Dutchman.
Gasly and Albon were both called up to Red Bull following impressive stints with Red Bull’s sister team Toro Rosso but were either demoted or released after failing to live up to the incredibly high expectations set by Verstappen.
As Sergio Perez’s Racing Point contract ran down and the team transitioned to become Aston Martin, it appeared that the talented Mexican would be without a seat in 2021.
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A stunning win in Sakhir at the end of the 2020 seat clearly convinced Red Bull that the 33-year-old is a talented enough driver to play a part in F1 and decided to sign Perez to replace Albon for 2021.
During his first two seasons with Red Bull, Perez has been the ultimate teammate for Verstappen, with his heroics at the 2021 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix going a long way to helping Verstappen win his first championship.
Red Bull’s chief advisor Helmut Marko has now praised Perez for his time so far at Red Bull, claiming that his ability to work with Verstappen is something worth recognising.
“Sergio has survived two years alongside Max without being broken like most drivers. That is a great achievement,” Marko told Sport.de.
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While Perez has been the perfect wingman for Verstappen over the past two season, the Mexican has admitted that he finally feels ready to battle his teammate for the championship last season.
There were hints of friction between the Red Bull drivers in Brazil last year, as Verstappen refused to repay the favour to Perez and obey team orders.
Should Perez find himself wheel-to-wheel with his teammate for the title this season, it is entirely possible that the relationship between the pair could break down, resulting in Perez suffering a similar fate to his predecessors.