Having already secured the driver’s world title and the constructor’s, team Red Bull Racing is close to securing P2 in the driver’s standings, completing the most important trio of achievements in an F1 season. While it will be a huge achievement for the team, it does not reflect the gap between Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez. Despite driving the same car, Perez stands 266 points behind Verstappen, and it has led to immense criticism of the 33-year-old.
The stark difference in the performance of the two drivers has not only been a concern for the team but also its fans. Keeping the same in mind, former Brawn Team Principal Ross Brawn suggests the Austrian team should think about bringing in an equally matched driver to partner Verstappen, as reported by SoyMotor.
“What I want to see, frankly, is someone more competitive in the other car because, unfortunately, Sergio Pérez does not offer much competition against Max Verstappen. Even when you have a dominant car, if you can get someone in the other seat to give the ‘first’ driver a hard time, the better.”
Adding to his words, Brawn cited the pairing of Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg at Mercedes between 2013 and 2016. Both drivers racked up a combined total of 3 world titles in the duration, with Hamilton picking two of them. Moreover, there was always a tough competition between the two, with it often going to the final few races before the season’s world champion would be final.
Given the increasing challenge by teams such as McLaren, Ferrari, and Aston Martin, it is key for Red Bull to have two strong drivers so they can maximize their points from each race weekend. With all that we’ve seen since the Asian leg of F1, Red Bull cannot continue to rely solely on one driver to bring them the constructor’s championship.
Plenty of suitors awaiting the departure of Sergio Perez
With Perez walking on thin ice at Red Bull, there have been rumors about a lot of drivers potentially taking up his spot in the coming season. While Daniel Ricciardo stands as the easiest choice given his call to form at AlphaTauri, Lando Norris and Fernando Alonso have also emerged as candidates for the same. After the fiery battle of the Sao Paulo Grand Prix, rumors have been flying left and right that Red Bull is considering bringing the 42-year-old on board and securing a dream lineup for the 2024 season.
Meanwhile, logic dictates the team should opt for a younger driver and look to build a future with him. As such, McLaren’s Lando Norris would be the ideal choice, owing to his impeccable driving skills. Experts and Pundits believe the British driver has a driver’s title in his future, and Red Bull would certainly want to house another champion driver. In the end, however, it will boil down to finding the right balance between their drivers for Red Bull. The team’s hopes would certainly be to find a pairing similar to that of Hamilton and Rosberg as they look to continue dominating the sport before the regulation changes come in.
