Sergio Perez continues to face tough times in Red Bull, with rumors surfacing of the Mexican potentially announcing his retirement from F1 once the 2023 season ends. Fans and experts have started believing that Perez is a lousy driver despite being in the same car that Max Verstappen uses to dominate the rest of the grid. Given the ‘bad driver’ image of Perez, former F1 driver Jolyon Palmer believes Verstappen will have a tough time finding a new teammate- as he revealed while appearing on Spotify’s F1: Chequered Flag Podcast.
Daniel Ricciardo, Alex Albon, and Pierre Gasly were teammates to Verstappen before the arrival of Perez, and none of them could match the prowess of the Dutchman in a Red Bull car. Each of the former Red Bull drivers got the reputation of being a ‘bad driver’, but once they left the team, things took a turn for the better for them. Perez finds himself in a similar situation as he drives an RB19 structured around only suiting the needs of his teammate. The car’s setup is amongst the primary reasons behind Perez not performing well, and Palmer believes it will also be the reason behind Red Bull finding a decent teammate for the three-time world champion.
Max Verstappen might have to dig deep to find a teammate following Perez’s departure
With Perez under threat of losing his job, experts and pundits are trying to determine who the optimum replacement would be for Red Bull. Given how the situation is unraveling in McLaren, the panel at F1: Chequered Flag Podcast believes Lando Norris could be a potential replacement for the 33-year-old. However, Jolyon Palmer believes even a driver of Norris’ caliber would think twice before taking up the offer as it basically means he’s entering the “lion’s den.”
“I think anyone might be just a bit scared to go into Red Bull now, alongside Verstappen. Because Verstappen is incredibly good. I’m sure he’s operating at the best level of anyone out there right now. But also, whatever has been going on with the car, it seems to be really suiting him.”
Palmer added the setup of the car is making Perez look like a “shabby” driver, and the case was the same with Alex Albon. Thus, there are chances of Red Bull being unable to bring their target driver as they might not want to see themselves in a similar situation. However, there is still one driver who could come to Red Bull, despite fears of him also being decimated by Verstappen.
Daniel Ricciardo could earn his Red Bull return soon
After being let go by McLaren at the end of the 2022 season, Ricciardo had no place to go. However, Red Bull jumped in at the last moment to name Ricciardo their third driver for the 2023 season. Currently recovering from injury, the Australian is still under the employ of Red Bull and might make for the perfect replacement for Perez should the team decide to part ways with the Mexican driver.
✍️ “If there’s any glimpse of Ricciardo getting back to 90-95% of what he offered Red Bull before he left…Red Bull’s going to have to seriously consider going for it.”
Daniel Ricciardo’s #F1 return is bad news for Sergio Perez ➡️https://t.co/FkH6M7mlEvhttps://t.co/FkH6M7mlEv
— The Race (@wearetherace) October 18, 2023
Ricciardo has previously been partners with Max Verstappen and seemed to be the only one somewhat capable of keeping up with the Dutchman in a Red Bull car. Having stepped away from the team, the Australian has had a lot to learn and is now a much more mature driver than before. As such, the Milton Keynes-based outfit might prefer having him on board.
As for Perez, if he wants to save his seat, the foremost goal for him would be to secure his P2 spot in the driver’s standings and fend off any challenges that Lewis Hamilton and Mercedes might throw his way in the last five races of the season.
