In the fourth year of being teammates with Max Verstappen, Sergio Perez is still quite behind the Dutchman’s pace, both during qualifying and the race. The performance deficit is so large that the Mexican driver may even beat the performance gaps of Verstappen’s past teammates like Pierre Gasly and Alex Albon.
According to F1 journalist and data analyst, Kevin Harmann, on Twitter (now X), Perez has an average qualifying gap of 0.629 seconds in 2024 relative to Verstappen. This is his largest gap in four years at Red Bull with 0.392 seconds being the closest he was in 2022.
After another poor qualifying performance from Sergio #Perez, I had a look at Max Verstappens Red Bull teammates so far. Actually Checo is on the verge of setting a new negative record for the biggest deficit over one lap.#AustrianGP #F1 pic.twitter.com/1qEdKhvNwG
— Kevin Hermann (@KevinH_F1) June 29, 2024
Last year, the gap worsened to over five-tenths of a second, just like in 2021. However, with not much competition until now, Perez and Red Bull did not feel the consequences of this large deficit. But the way McLaren, Ferrari, and Mercedes have caught up with Red Bull, the Austrian outfit desperately needs the #11 driver to register podium finishes as well.
Harmann then contrasted how Albon’s qualifying gap in the second half of 2019 – 0.634 seconds – was the worst of all for any teammate against the Dutchman. While the Thai driver improved marginally to 0.621 seconds in 2020, it still did not take him above Gasly.
Meanwhile, Gasly’s qualifying deficit in his 12 races in 2019 was 0.592 seconds, which makes the second-worst gap recorded by any of Verstappen’s teammates. However, with Perez at 0.629 seconds already this year, he has surpassed the Frenchman and may also beat Albon’s deficit and set a “new negative record” if he carries on his current trajectory.
Now, Red Bull may not be alien to this data as team boss Christian Horner has urged Perez to improve his performances. Horner desperately wants the Mexican driver to be there in the mix with the increasing competition at the front.
Why Red Bull should worry about Sergio Perez’s massive performance deficit?
Sergio Perez’s form should be a concern for Red Bull, given they have extended his contract for two more seasons. While Horner has dubbed the extension as a 1+1 year deal for Perez, it came as a surprise to many how the Austrian outfit accepted the 34-year-old’s demand for a two-year deal.
One of the big factors tipped behind Perez getting a new Red Bull contract till the end of 2026 [be it an option deal] is his massive sponsorship backing. Besides, the energy drinks brand has also banked on the Mexican’s commercial leverage in his home country and the Latin American region as a whole.
However, no matter how good Perez’s financial backing is, Red Bull will definitely need him to score enough points to help the team win the Constructors’ Championship. Since the team perhaps had doubts about Perez’s ability to deliver, Horner stressed on the fact that they had only offered the Mexican a 1+1 year, with the option to evaluate his performance after the 2025 campaign.
: Ralf Schumacher claims Sergio Perez’s sponsorship money is crucial for Red Bull’s budget, aiding in covering Max Verstappen’s $70 million salary. Perez’s sponsors include Disney, Telcel, and Mobil. Despite recent struggles, a contract extension for Perez is reportedly… pic.twitter.com/QnUKO8lKk9
— F1 Naija (@f1_naija) June 3, 2024
It would certainly be a big financial blow for the Milton Keynes outfit if they had to sack the Guadalajara-born driver. However, that would also help them hire a better-performing driver who can be closer to Verstappen and help them fight other competitive teams.
Meanwhile, there have been reports that Red Bull have re-signed Perez to keep the Dutchman happy. Verstappen has got on very well with the #11 driver as they have had very few tense moments.
