Opinion: The Sergio Perez Criticism Is Too Harsh

This weekend's Singapore Grand Prix marks a momentous occasion in Sergio "Checo" Perez's Formula One career, as he hits the 250 race start mile stone, putting him only 2 race starts away from being in the top ten drivers with the most F1 race starts of all time. But, as a driver who had shown great potential in his early F1 days; questions are starting to be asked as to why he seems unable to consistently challenge in the most dominate car on the current F1 grid. Has he lost his "spark?" Or, is his teammate; Max Verstappen, that good? Let's dive in.

Back in the day, Perez's junior racing career was nothing to scream and shout about. However, a championship win in the British Formula 3 International Series (National Class) and a 2nd place finish in the 2010 GP2 Series, not only caught the eye of the Sauber Formula One Team bosses, landing the Mexican a seat with them for the 2011 Formula One Season, but also Ferrari, adding him to their Driver Academy roster. And, almost immediately into his F1 career, Perez impressed; quickly gaining recognition for his ability to control tyre wear. The following season, at the Malaysian Grand Prix, he finished on the podium for the first time, fighting Double World Champion; Fernando Alonso, for the win in the latter stages of the race. His 2nd place finish won him praises from the motorsport community and rumours began of a potential move to Ferrari, which never happened. Instead, Perez was the replacement for Lewis Hamilton at McLaren in 2013 - a season that didn't exactly go the way Perez would have liked and saw him axed for 2014. So, it was over to Force India who he drove for, for 7 years, before joining Red Bull alongside Max Verstappen. And, so far at Red Bull, he's doing well. With consistent point finishes, regular podiums and a current 2nd place in the Driver's Championship, you need to ask why he's getting so much criticism in 2023.

Although the numbers are looking good, Perez is letting his on-track action do the most of the talking, and that, at times, hasn't been so good, with numerous crashes, mistakes and a string of early qualifying eliminations. And, unfortunately for him, this is what most people are picking up on, including Red Bull's Team Advisor, Helmut Marko, who hasn't been afraid to criticize his driver. For Red Bull, this is nothing new, after having the same issues with previous drivers; Pierre Gasly and Alexander Albon, who were both eventually axed from the team, with Perez rumoured to be going the same way. But, for Perez to be the third driver, (fourth, if you include Daniil Kvyat,) to have these struggles, makes you wonder - is the pressure of being Max Verstappen's teammate too much? Are the team's expectations on their "Number Two" driver too high? Maybe so. There are many factors pointing in this direction.

But, this doesn't eliminate the fact that Perez also struggled at McLaren, who were a top team during his 2013 contract. Of course, he had some decent enough races with the team, frequently finishing in the points, but he could never get the better of then teammate; Jenson Button, who finished the season 24 points ahead of the young Perez. And, that's exactly what he was back then; young. And, with only two seasons of F1 experience, many believed he wasn't ready for the step up into the limelight, or that he wasn't a good fit at the McLaren team. But, despite being dropped by the team for 2014, he has since gone onto have bigger and better accomplishments, all back within a midfield team, before being eyed up, once again, with a seat at the front of the grid.

Is Checo living proof of a driver that's better in the midfield than at the front of the grid? You could be saying the same for Pierre Gasly and Alexander Albon, who are both flourishing in different environments. And, that is what the problem seems to be time and time again - the nature of a team that is so heavily invested in one driver. Statistically, Perez is having his best season to date, despite some of his on-track antics. But, that isn't good enough for Red Bull or the "sofa critics," especially as he has thrown away several valuable points in the championship.

I can't help but feel sorry for Checo. He's come a long way since his Sauber days and being Max Verstappen's teammate has proved to be anything but an easy feat. Plus, he's part of a team that seems to have zero interest in him or his career. I've always been a fan of Red Bull, but their ethos isn't mentally healthy for a number two driver. Could this be why we're seeing so many mistakes from Checo? It's plausible. At the end of the day, Sergio Perez is a good Formula One driver. He may not be Championship material, but he can go out there and get the job done, rewarding himself with several championship points, in the process. Unfortunately for him, Red Bull consistently prove to be an unhealthy environment and until the day comes that someone can challenge Verstappen, we may continue to see the downfall of multiple drivers. If Perez were to leave Red Bull, could it mean the end of his F1 career? It's something only time will tell.

Let’s Talk: Should Ferrari Really be Favouring Charles Leclerc over Carlos Sainz?

If there's one thing that's clear in Formula One, it's that, no matter what anyone says, Charles Leclerc is the lead driver at Scuderia Ferrari. Throughout his racing career, he has consistently been labelled as a "Generational Talent," a term, in which time and time again, he has proved is one that best describes him. And, after an impressive first season in Formula One in 2018, driving for the Sauber team alongside ex-F1 driver; Marcus Ericsson, it came as no surprise when he was announced as a Scuderia Ferrari driver for the 2019 season.

For the next couple of seasons, Leclerc would partner highly acclaimed and multiple F1 World Champion; Sebastian Vettel, finishing higher than him in the two championship seasons they spent together. Vettel would leave Ferrari at the end of 2020, pathing the way for current Ferrari driver; Carlos Sainz.

Sainz, like Leclerc, had a relatively decent junior career. However, he was never labelled in the way Leclerc was. After dominating the 2014 Formula Renault 3.5 championship, as well giving Max Verstappen a run for his money at Toro Rosso, people perceived Sainz as good, just not Leclerc good, giving him the reputation as Ferrari's second driver from the get go, despite finishing higher than Leclerc in the 2021 World Championship. And, after a 2022 season, that saw Leclerc head Sainz, we come to today - 2023, where Sainz sits ahead of Leclerc in the current championship standings. Despite this, it's done barely anything to aid Carlos Sainz as he fights to beat Leclerc, with the team, on multiple occasions, handing Leclerc the favorable strategies.

This seems pretty unfair right? As a Carlos fan, yes. But as a racing fan, yes and no.

Leclerc has made his name at Ferrari. Like Max Verstappen at Red Bull, the Monegasque is a champion in their (Ferrari's) eyes. Take 2022, for example, Ferrari had a car, especially in the early stages of the season, of matching Red Bull. It was always Verstappen vs Leclerc. Sainz didn't always have the pace to be up there with his teammate and eventually scored only 9 podiums (1 win) compared to Leclerc's 11 (3 wins).

However, what has become evident in recent years, is that Leclerc is prone to mistakes, throwing away multiple wins, podiums and points. And, of course Sainz makes mistakes too, but Leclerc seems to make them, more often than not, during pivotal parts of a race weekend.

The one thing, though, that distinguishes Sainz from Leclerc is his ability to score consistently. He may have only 1 F1 career win and only 1 podium in 2023, but his consistency has earned him the title of lead Ferrari driver in the Championship. But again, Ferrari see Leclerc as their main man, despite them letting their drivers race at Monza with Sainz coming out on top.

And, then there's the Tifosi - Ferrari's passionate fan base. And, like the team, they are about Leclerc. With the increasing popularity of social media and team/fan engagement, could fans be having some effect on who the team's number one is? It's possible. (Still there is no need for the amount of drama that fans, especially on Twitter create.) But, becoming slightly contradicting, as we saw in Monza, a large percentage of the Tifosi aren't overly bothered which driver has the favourable strategy. As long as they finish on the podium, the fans will be there, chanting their driver's name over and over. A beautiful sight for a Carlos fan.

Wrapping this up, from a championship point of view, the team will want to score as many points as possible, but things become questionable when Sainz, who can be the faster driver at times, is told to hold station behind his teammate who has no chance of catching those ahead. Or, when Leclerc, in some sense, "throws his toys" out the pram over team radio because Sainz failed to help him? Surely, if Ferrari want to maximise their point tally, their faster, on-track driver should be given the favourable strategy.Whether it's Leclerc or Sainz, should it matter at the end of the day?

Race Report: Italian Grand Prix 2023

The Autodromo Nazionale di Monza - one of the most historic circuits in Formula One, was back for another year to host the Italian Grand Prix. And, with Ferrari looking strong throughout the weekend, leading up to the race; many found the long-awaited optimism that Red Bull and Max Verstappen could finally be stopped in their tracks from making even more history and extending their consecutive win streaks.

Ferrari, racing in front of their beloved Tifosi, started the weekend in the most unexpected way - showing more pace than Red Bull. Something which was confirmed when Carlos Sainz beat Max Verstappen to pole by +0.013. The second Ferrari of Charles Leclerc would join them in the top three.

Race day, and for once the sun is shining - after several races this year have found themselves shrouded in rain. The majority of the field will be starting on the yellow striped medium tyre. Lewis Hamilton, Valtteri Bottas and Kevin Magnussen have gone with the hards. The grid clears, and Sainz gets off the line, leading the field away for the formation lap.

However, the drama begins before the race even starts, with an Alpha Tauri pulling off the track. Yuki Tsunoda seems to have had an engine failure on the back straight, which means an aborted start for the rest of the drivers who have made their way back to the grid. By the time the field makes it back after a second formation lap, Tsunoda's car is still stricken, with no word from Race Control on what will happen next. Eventually, mechanics are allowed onto the track to tend to their cars while Tsunoda's car is loaded onto a trailer and moved to safety. Ten minutes have passed and a third formation lap is now underway, reducing the race from 53 laps to 51, compensating for the extra formation laps. This time, everything goes to plan. And, with 19 drivers lined up, the lights go out. The race is finally underway.

It's a clean start for everybody with Sainz leading the pack into the first chicane, Verstappen and Leclerc hot on his tail. George Russell and Sergio Perez complete the top five. Although positions have stayed static at the front of the field, there's movement further down with the Haas of Nico Hulkenberg passing Fernando Alonso in the Aston Martin. On lap two, Alexander Albon regains sixth position that he lost to Oscar Piastri at the start of the race, whereas Lewis Hamilton goes wide at the Parabolica, dropping back from the second McLaren of Lando Norris, in the process. But by the time DRS is enabled, it's still Sainz leading out front.

Verstappen, who is staying within a second of Sainz, is noticing that the Ferrari is "already sliding a bit," something he reports to his team over radio. Is this why he doesn't seem in any hurry to attempt an overtake? However, the Red Bull driver starts thinking about it at the start of lap six, going into the first chicane. Sainz cuts him off, with Verstappen venting over team radio, telling his team "that was naughty." Leclerc, who is waiting to pounce in third, gets closer to the top two while they tussle for position.

Another battle starts brewing for fourth position between Russell and Perez. Russell finds himself having to defend the inside line at turn one. His Mercedes team, however, asks the British driver for some tyre management, something Russell is unable to focus on while he is under attack from behind. By the start of lap eleven, the two are still battling with Russell consistently out-braking Perez into the first turn.

Also on lap eleven, the first action begins in the pitlane with Pierre Gasly pitting for Alpine. Zhou Guanyu also pits, covering a potential undercut by the French driver. Liam Lawson, still deputising for Daniel Ricciardo at Alpha Tauri, is in aswell, attempting an undercut on Fernando Alonso that could push him into the points. During this there is also action at the front of the field, with Perez and Russell both missing the first chicane. "He pushed me off," Perez tells his engineer. They stay as they were, unlike our leaders. On lap fifteen, there's a big lock up for Sainz going into turn one, giving Verstappen the momentum to attempt a move around the Curva Grande. At the second chicane, the Red Bull gets the move done, relegating Sainz to second. Verstappen is quick to create a two second gap to the Ferrari, as Sainz falls back into the clutches of Leclerc. One lap later, the second Red Bull of Perez finally gets past Russell, making the move stick for fourth.

Hamilton and Bottas, who both started on the hard tyre, currently find themselves in eighth and tenth as those around them start to pit. This includes Sainz who tells his Ferrari team "tyres are nearly finished." He returns to the track in ninth, on hard tyres. Russell, Verstappen, Leclerc and Perez also pit, switching to the hards. An incident quickly gets noticed by the stewards for Russell gaining an advantage over the Alpine of Esteban Ocon at pit exit. He is slapped with a five second time penalty. Down at McLaren, team personnel find themselves having to hold their breaths as there is a close call between their drivers, as Piastri leaves the pit lane. He bashes tyres with Norris going into turn one, but all is ok and the two carry on.

Hamilton, who is yet to pit, momentarily leads the race. Unfortunately, for the seven time World Champion, it's not for long, with Verstappen passing him on the start/finish straight. The Ferrari duo still sit behind Verstappen and follow him pass the Mercedes who pits at the end of the lap. He's gone from the hard tyre to the mediums, something that seems to concern him. "It's a long way to go on this damn tyre man." 23 laps remain.

Perez, in the second Red Bull, starts to catch the Ferrari duo. Leclerc, ahead of Perez, becomes a problem for the Mexican, as he has DRS from his teammate. But, after several failed attempts at an overtake at turn one, Leclerc looses DRS and Perez pounces on lap thirty two, taking the final podium spot. His next target is Sainz. As for Verstappen, he is well over six seconds ahead of this battle, posting the fastest lap of the race. A 1:25.240.

There is also a battle on-going for the final point positions. Albon, who currently sits in sixth, is defending from Norris, who cuts the first chicane while attempting an overtake. As per racing rules, his gives the place back to the Williams driver. While this still rages on, Piastri and Hamilton catch up to the back of the Williams and the McLaren. But, as Hamilton attempts a move on Piastri at the second chicane, the two make contact, with the former having to pit for a new front wing.

Back at the front, the Sainz v Perez v Leclerc battle is heating up, with Sainz having to defend over the charging Perez, who is still being out-braked into turn one. Elsewhere, a retirement seems to have gone under the radar with Esteban Ocon ending his race in the pits. But, for Piastri and Hamilton, the previous incident between the pair is now under investigation. Replays tells us that Hamilton pulled across Piastri, squeezing him in the process. And, alas, it's a five second penalty for the Mercedes driver. After his front wing change, Piastri goes and sets a new fastest race lap, with a 1:25.072.

Sainz and Perez are still battling into turn one, with Perez having to take to the run off. "He's moving under braking," Perez complains over team radio. He tries again the next time around and again, takes to the run off. But, on lap forty six, he manages it, taking second place away from the Ferrari at their home race. As for Sainz, he now has his teammate breathing down his neck, and low tyre grip gives Leclerc a chance into turn one. However, Leclerc's braking is all wrong and Sainz keeps third. They battle, side by side, all the way around the Curva Grande to the second chicane. It's relatively clean racing from the pair, despite nearly coming together.

Hamilton, with his looming penalty, is making up ground by getting past Norris and Albon. He needs five seconds to the driver behind for his penalty not to have any effect. But, back to the action for the final podium spot and the Ferrari duo are back at it. With just a couple of laps left to run, Sainz has a horrific lock up into turn one but manages, somehow, to still hold Leclerc behind. He tells his team "let's bring this home." Leclerc, on the other hand, is told "no risk. Race until the end." So, race but don't race, basically. However, Leclerc ignores what he's been told and takes a lunge on the final lap. This time he locks his brakes and very nearly collects his teammate. They carry on fighting for third.

But, it's Verstappen out front that takes the chequered flag, making it ten races out of ten, obliterating previous records. Perez comes home second for Red Bull, with Sainz clinging onto that podium for dear life. Leclerc settles for fourth, and despite their penalties, Russell and Hamilton come home in fifth and sixth. Albon takes seventh for Williams with Norris, Alonso and Bottas the final point scorers.

This definitely has to be one of the more entertaining races of the season, so far. And, that's with Verstappen's dominance. But still, the question is yet to be answered. Can anyone stop Verstappen?

Next up, Singapore.