Sergio Pérez’ (MEX, Racing Point) win at the F1 Sakhir Grand Prix was sublime. He overcame a first lap incident that sent him to the last place only to storm back through the field and take the race by over ten seconds.
For ten years Sergio has displayed finesse in his driving, optimizing his tires, the capabilities of his car and the limits of his driving to be on the best possible spot when it matters: at the checkered flag.
“Checo” has been a spectacular driver for Formula 1 and it is a travesty that he does not have a seat for next year when he is fourth in the Drivers’ Championship, having missed two races!
He will be replaced by four-time World Champion Sebastian Vettel (GER, Ferrari), who was been erratic and has lacked pace for three years. The only possibly available seat for next year is Red Bull. Pérez should get it.
Team Principal, Christian Horner, has already had him as a driver in GP2, when he raced for his successful Arden International team. As a Rookie, Sergio had two podiums and finished 12th in the driver standings.
Eleven years have passed and today Sergio is one of the four best drivers in the field and he has only grown. Horner is aware of his racecraft. In the other hand, Horner was not impressed when his driver Alexander Albon (THA, Red Bull) was not able to make it to Q2 and was passed on track by Pérez.
Mercedes still has the best car and will probably continue to dominate F1 next year with Lewis Hamilton (ENG), but Red Bull is the next best car and they have to be there for when the chances of winning arise, such as last Sunday, when Mercedes made the blunder of putting incorrect tyres in their drivers’ cars and, of course, Hamilton was absent due to covid-19.
Seizing the moment requires the courage, grit and intelligence that Sergio has displayed, as he showed yesterday. That is why every victory count the same, because not everyone is able to optimize every condition. Sergio can.
For F1 fans, for sporting justice and for the huge Mexican/Latin American market for Red Bull and Formula 1 -let’s not forget that the Mexican Grand Prix was won the “Event of the Year” for FIA every single year it has been staged in its latest epoch- please give this man a seat for next year!
