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Once Upon a Time, Sergio Perez Was Haas’ Prime Candidate

Pranay Bhagi
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Once Upon a Time, Sergio Perez Was Haas' Prime Candidate

Despite Sergio Perez’s current struggles with Red Bull, he has a strong reputation for being one of the most solid drivers on the grid. Before joining the Austrian stable, he was a consistent driver for Force India/Racing Point. In fact, Guenther Steiner admitted that he was one of Haas’ biggest targets in the past.

“He was a good driver at the time,” said Steiner. “His behavior in the team was very good, he got on with people, which is always important. He was just a solid driver.”

The former Haas Team Principal explained how Perez wasn’t a race winner back then, and wasn’t considered championship material either. But being Haas, Steiner, and Co. did not expect someone competing for the Title to join them. That is why Perez was a good option.

However, the move never materialized, and Perez saw out his stint with team Silverstone until it rebranded to Aston Martin in 2021.

Perez joined Red Bull that year, and started competing at the front consistently, something he wasn’t used to. He had a decent start to life in Milton-Keynes, but things kept getting worse with each passing year, as struggles to cope with teammate Max Verstappen mounted.

In 2024, Perez’s poor form saw him on the verge of getting sacked, but Liberty Media reportedly intervened to save him, a claim that Helmut Marko has since denied.

Liberty Media didn’t help Perez, insists Marko 

Perez is a huge commercial asset to F1, because of his fame in Mexico and North America. With two American races and Perez’s home Mexican GP set to take place later this year, Liberty Media did not want to lose out on ticket sales because of the 34-year-old’s potential absence.

Marko, however, insisted that the decision to keep Perez was solely theirs. They certainly want him to race in his home race, but our choice of the driver is not based on Liberty Media’s intentions,” the Red Bull advisor said. 

Perez’s seat for 2025 meanwhile, is by no means guaranteed. To continue with the Austrian stable, he has to make amends in the final 10 races of the campaign.

Post Edited By:Somin Bhattacharjee

About the author

Pranay Bhagi

Pranay Bhagi

Pranay Bhagi is an F1 Journalist at the Sportsrush. He's been following the sport since 2010 and has been a Sebastian Vettel enthusiant since then. He started his F1 journalism journey two years ago and has written over 1300 articles. As an Aston Martin supporter, he hopes for Fernando Alonso to win the 3rd title. Apart from F1, anything with an engine and wheel intruiges him. In true petrolhead sense, he often travels across the country on his motorcycle.

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