Last weekend, Sergio Perez took advantage of the chaos to win the Azerbaijan Grand Prix. It also helped that Lewis Hamilton botched his restart by running wide at Turn 1 and Max Verstappen crashed out. With this win, Perez also has a unique Red Bull record to his credit.
Admittedly, this statistic sounds a little silly. This is because he is the first Red Bull driver without consecutive double letters in his name to win a race. Other winners included Sebastian Vettel, Mark Webber, Max Verstappen, and Daniel Ricciardo. The bizarre statistic aside, Sergio Perez will be glad to finally open his win account.
Additionally, Red Bull will be happy that they have a driver who can be a real rear gunner for Verstappen. With Valtteri Bottas floundering near the tail of the points often, there is no better chance for Red Bull. This is because it leaves Hamilton as the sole breadwinner for Mercedes. Meanwhile, Red Bull has two drivers in the points on a consistent basis. Naturally, it will be a big boon in the constructor’s championship.
ADVERTISEMENT
Article continues below this ad
WATCH STORY: Love is in the Paddock: F1 Fraternity Rings in Valentines Day feat. Max Verstappen
ADVERTISEMENT
Article continues below this ad
Can Red Bull and Sergio Perez maintain this good form?
Theoretically, Perez and Red Bull certainly have the capability to maintain their form. However, the other side of the argument is that Mercedes cars sometimes struggle at street circuits. Considering that the next race of the season is at the Red Bull Ring in Austria, it will give the German giants some hope. Conversely, Red Bull will not be too keen to allow Mercedes to win on their own turf.
ADVERTISEMENT
Article continues below this ad
Also, Red Bull finally has good momentum and will want to continue it. Furthermore, Max Verstappen will be desperate to redeem himself for his costly crash in Azerbaijan. In his defense, he probably thought that all hope was lost after that crash, as Lewis Hamilton was still in the race. So he will be thanking his lucky stars that the defending champion had that lockup at the first corner during the restart.
READ MORE: Sergio Perez Proved He’s Perfect ‘Second Driver’ to Max Verstappen in Baku: Palmer