F1 technical boss Ross Brawn said that it would be a tragedy if Sergio Perez was not in Formula 1 next year. The Mexican driver is without a seat in F1 having been replaced at Racing Point in favor of Sebastian Vettel for next season.
The Turkish Grand Prix was yet another reminder of just how good Perez is and his second-place finish behind Lewis Hamilton was a terrific result on very worn tires—a hallmark of his driving skill arsenal.
Is it a tragedy? Surely yes but it comports with many other tragedies in F1 rough the history of the sport. There are too many names to mention as having been put out to pasture before the sell-by-date such as Perez, Nico Hulkenberg, Jean-Eric Vergne, Stoffel Vandoorne, Nick Heidfeld, Juan Pablo Montoya, Marcus Ericsson, Max Chilton, Charles Pic, Geido van Der Garde, Paul di Resta, Anthony Davidson, Brendan Hartley, Kamui Kobayashi, Vitaly Petrov, Sebastien Buemi, Timo Glock, Alexander Rossi, Jerome de Ambrosio, Luca Di Grassi, Bruno Senna and the list goes on and on.
You may argue with many of those names as not having the skills, talent or panache to be in F1 but many would argue the same for others. It is all in the eyes of the beholder and while statistics would justify some of those critiques, others may not tell the full story of lacking the equipment, backing or political chops to remain in the series or show their total potential.
F1 is a machine and it defecates drivers as fast as it consumes them. The chances of remaining in F1 is a mind-numbing multivariate equation that sometimes betrays the simple fact that the driver is massively talented.
There is the notion that the cream always rises to the top but we know that isn’t always the case with drivers such as Tommy Byrne or numerous other drivers who were quicker than the actual drivers in a team when they tested for them. We know this because if Racing Point were really serious about scoring points, they would keep Sergio Perez and sit Lance Stroll out for a season or two. Well, that’s not an option for reasons that have very little to do with Sergio’s skill or backing he brings to a team. Like Heikki Kovalainen, there simply is no room at the inn.
Perez to Redbull!
Perez is one of the best out there atm Someone must have paid racing point to take washed out Vetel in his stead, unbelievably stupid decision by racing point unless they are being paid well for the move!
It’s a tough call. I have always been a Perez fan since his Sauber run at Monaco but like many others before him, there are factors out of his control.
Has RedBull ever fished outside of their own pool though? I don’t think that’s their thing. Realistically, F1 needs a couple more teams. In a way, it’s good that Formula e came about for all these drivers to go to, but it does seem to be a one way street, doesn’t it?