The Red Bull Racing team is grappling with a formidable challenge—balancing the contrasting fortunes of its drivers, Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez. As the Dutchman, a three-time consecutive world champion, continues to bask in the glory of success, Sergio Perez struggled to find his rhythm in the season we just witnessed. Checo wouldn’t have beaten Verstappen, even if he scored twice as many points as he scored in the season. These divergent trajectories prompted Peter Windsor, an F1 expert, to provide a detailed analysis of what makes the two drivers so different.

The driving styles of Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez paint a vivid picture of their performances. Verstappen’s angular approach to corners allows for tire conservation and efficient fuel usage and has contributed to the Dutchman’s consistent success. Conversely, Perez’s geometric approach, characterized by rounded lines, tends to consume tires and fuel at a quicker rate, translating into slower lap times.

Windsor lays down the bare difference between Sergio Perez and Max Verstappen’s demand

During the live chat, a fan posed a question to Peter Windsor, seeking to understand the driving preferences of Grand Prix drivers regarding the front or back end of the car. Windsor’s response unveiled a crucial aspect that distinguishes great Grand Prix drivers from very good drivers.

He asserted, “I don’t know of a great Grand Prix driver whether it be Lewis, Max, Sterling Moss, Jim Clark, Michael Schumacher, Charles Leclerc… who doesn’t want a good front end. It depends, when you see all these quotes coming from drivers, quite often, it’s dependent very much on the context and the question they’ve been asked. But I don’t know of any great Grand Prix driver that’s never wanted a good front end.”

He elaborated that the defining factor lies in a driver’s ability to handle the back end of the car. Verstappen, in this context, showcases remarkable adaptability. “And the difference between a great Grand Prix driver and a very good Grand Prix driver, who’s still capable of winning races in the right car, is their ability to handle the back end of the car. That is the point, and so long as Max Verstappen’s got a front end, he can live with whatever the back’s going to do, basically within reason. Sergio Perez can’t, Jensen Button couldn’t.”

Read More: ‘He’s Like Michael Schumacher’: Ex-Ferrari Boss Admires Max Verstappen, Predicting 8 World Championships

With his contract with Red Bull coming to an end in 2024, Checo has identified the one thing that will help him extend his contract beyond next season.

Sergio Perez identifies consistency as his biggest threat for 2024

In a recent statement to Autosport, Perez expresses his determination to secure consistency, a crucial element he believes was lacking in his previous campaign. Despite a strong start matching the pace of defending champion Max Verstappen, Perez struggled to progress through the season, at times even regressing. “I want to be able to hit consistency, to build a platform. What we lacked this year is progress. I started the year really highly, on par with Max. But I was just not able to evolve through the season”, emphasized the Mexican.

“If anything, I went backward at times. So, that’s probably my main priority, to be able to progress through the season“, as compiled by Motorsport. Looking ahead to the 2024 season, Perez recognizes the expectations placed on him, particularly with the introduction of the RB-20. He faces the additional challenge of competing against strong contenders within the Red Bull driver pool, including Daniel Ricciardo, Yuki Tsunoda, and Liam Lawson. Perez’s $26 million Red Bull partnership hinges on his ability to address the issues that plagued his previous season.

Do you believe Checo can deliver a performance that will force Red Bull’s hand to extend his contract beyond 2024? Share your insights in the comments below.

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