“I think naturally this makes Red Bull stronger”- Lewis Hamilton backs Red Bull axing Alex Albon by replacing him with Sergio Perez.
Red Bull confirmed on Friday that they have signed Sergio Perez for a year-long contract and would be paired up with Max Verstappen for 2021.
Many went onto criticise Red Bull’s alleged mismanagement of their drivers, as without giving Alex Albon due time, they have snatched away the seat, which they earlier took from Pierre Gasly to hire Albo in the first place.
Speaking on the criticism received by Red Bull, Lewis Hamilton has defended his rival team and said that they have made themselves stronger by hiring Perez, as Albon hardly ever came near to Mercedes and it was always Verstappen who consistently challenged them.
“With respect to Alex in the races that we’ve had it’s been me and Valtteri against Max,” said Hamilton ahead of the FIA prizegiving ceremony for the 2020 world championships.
“I’ve been in the position that Max was in once, particularly when I was at McLaren (pictured) where I was the lead car, and the second car wasn’t in the fight so when we’re fighting Ferrari, they could move around with the strategy and make it a lot harder for us.
“So I think naturally this makes Red Bull stronger – particularly the way Sergio is performing.”
Too late for Albon?
Alex Albon gave a set of positive performances during the final few races and even earned a podium at the Bahrain Grand Prix, but it seemed like by then Red Bull had made their decision.
Even Verstappen, who on previous occasions hesitated to speak clearly on his teammate’s performances has now supported the decision made by the organization.
“Most of the time when we were quite competitive this year I was the only car trying to beat them and trying to do something different but they can always do the right strategy with one of them because they will always cover me with one car. So it was always a bit difficult to fight them.
“And I just hope that Checo [Perez] will push the whole team forward. But it will always keep me on my toes, which is always nice – to have a team-mate pushing you.
“It’s exciting. And hopefully, we can have a bit more of a competitive car from the start, make it just a bit more interesting and difficult for them [Mercedes] to make decisions.”
