Editorial: Sergio Perez – driver or salesman?

The Mexican driver is no longer as talented and comfortable as he was during his last season at Racing Point and his first year at Red Bull. Although he still has a two-year contract with the Austrian team, it is reasonable to question whether he deserves it.

Red Bull's decision to keep Sergio Pérez in the cockpit is becoming a textbook case of commercial considerations trumping pure performance. The Mexican driver, who played a key role in Max Verstappen's first world title and has a knack for climbing from the back of the pack to the front, saw his track performance decline as the 2024 season progressed.

Although he finished the previous year as runner-up, Pérez is now lagging behind not only his teammate but also the majority of the drivers on the grid. Last season, Red Bull's dominant car masked his lack of speed, but this year, the Austrian-built machine has lost its advantage, allowing Mercedes, McLaren, and Ferrari to line up alongside, or even ahead of, the reigning champions. Against this backdrop, Pérez has fallen to the back of the pack, making the team's recent two-year contract extension all the more baffling. Helmut Marko's unwavering support for Pérez contrasts sharply with the treatment of former Red Bull drivers such as Daniil Kvyat and Pierre Gasly. The most plausible explanation lies in the financial and marketing benefits that Pérez brings. Backed by a string of Mexican sponsors, the Guadalajara native occupies a lucrative seat and serves as a national icon, amplifying the Red Bull brand's visibility across South America and, by extension, boosting product sales. Yet the numbers on the track tell a different story. Since Imola, Pérez has failed to string together an incident-free weekend. He crashed into the wall during qualifying in Emilia Romagna, retired after only two corners in Monaco, failed to make it through Q1 in Canada before crashing out of the race, missed out on Q3 in Spain and had to settle for eighth place, disappeared from the race in Austria on a circuit that should have suited his car, and ended up in the gravel during the first session at Silverstone. This litany of errors has raised growing doubts among fans and experts.

Within the team, the gap between Pérez and Verstappen is widening, raising questions about why a driver who repeatedly makes mistakes continues to get behind the wheel while promising young talents such as Isack Hadjar and Liam Lawson are knocking on the door. Despite his track record and commercial appeal, there is every reason to believe that it may be time for Red Bull to reevaluate the balance between its commercial interests and its sporting ambitions.