“Five Minutes after His Announcement,…” – Marko Reveals the Insane Reaction to Sergio Perez Joining Red Bull

Red Bull are pinning their hopes of solving their second driver problem on Sergio Perez next season. The Mexican driver has signed up with the Austrian outfit for one-year. Racing Point announced earlier this season that Sebastian Vettel will replace Perez next season. So, the Checo was driving all season to fight for a seat on the grid.

Perez won his first Formula 1 race this season at Bahrain. He drove an impressive race and climbed his way back from the end of the grid to the top of the podium. The Mexican finished the season in P4 position on the standing, even though he missed a couple of races.

Sergio Perez’s performance impressed Helmut Marko and Red Bull signed him up for 2021. Meanwhile, Marko pointed out Mexico’s reaction to signing Checo. “Five minutes after his announcement, our paddock club was sold out.”

“It has aroused great interest throughout Latin America. It opens an important market and involves a large group of enthusiastic fans,” he further added.

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Marko outlines a few reasons for hiring Sergio Perez

As the sole Mexican driver on the grid, Checo comes with immense backing from Mexican sponsors. However, Marko explained that it is not the reason for Red Bull signing Perez. “But it’s true that some sponsors will be visible on the car, there’s a lot of interest in his country,” he added.

Marko further added, “He drove all season, achieving excellent results and accumulated in his years at Racing Point a thorough knowledge of the Mercedes engine.”

Red Bull have faced the second driver problem for a couple of years now. Since Daniel Ricciardo left the Austrian team, they’ve run through two drivers trying to fill that gaping hole. First, it was Pierre Gasly who did not last even for a season. He was replaced mid-season by Alexander Albon.

Alexander Albon also failed to live up to Red Bull’s expectations and was recently replaced by Perez. The Austrian team will hope that the Mexican will be the answer to their persisting problem. If the answer is yes, Red Bull could very well be on their way back to their glorious winning days.