In addition to winning last Sunday, Perez finished 2nd in the Turkish Grand Prix earlier this year and now sits in 4th place in the Drivers World Championship. However, Racing Point has released him, meaning that (as things stand now) Perez will be watching from the sidelines in 2021.
The chaotic week building up to the 2020 Sakhir Grand Prix (Lewis Hamilton out with COVID) and a first-lap crash involving pre-race favorite Max Verstappen meant that the race turned into a huge opportunity for drivers to grab potential career-defining results. And the driver who did just that–to get his first-ever F1 career victory, was Sergio ‘Checo’ Perez.
Russell filled in at Mercedes for the ailing Lewis Hamilton (photo, Planet F1)
When Hamilton was ruled out for the race, Williams’ driver George Russell was given the nod to fill Hamilton’s seat. And Russell did an outstanding job, qualifying 2nd on the grid, beating out the more experienced Mercedes teammate Valtteri Bottas. But with Red Bull’s Max Verstappen lining up in 3rd, Russell would have his hands full.
In reality, though, Verstappen didn’t last long in Sunday’s race. He got caught up in a first-lap incident between Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc and Perez and crashed out of the race. Meanwhile, Russell led Bottas at the end of the first lap.
From there, Russell delivered a near faultless drive to lead comfortably for the majority of the race–until that is–a safety car gave a last-second call for both Russell and Bottas to make pit-stops. And that’s where problems began.
Due to miscommunication, Russell was sent out with Bottas’ tires fitted. Upon realizing the mistake, the pit crew sent Bottas out with the same old tires he had entered. Russell then had to pit again to have the correct tires fitted, and the result caused both drivers to move down on the grid.
But Russell quickly passed Bottas, Lance Stroll, and Esteban Ocon to move back up to 2nd place, only to suffer a rear tire puncture that required yet another trip to the pits. In the end, Russell finished the race in 9th place with a great sense of ‘what could have been.’ His first career victory was cruelly taken away.
Russell’s misfortune and Mercedes’s mistakes presented a golden opportunity for others. And the driver who benefitted most–racing in his 190th race–was Perez. He made a remarkable come-back from 18th place (after the incident with Leclerc and Verstappen) to win.
Sergio Perez after winning the Sakhir GP (photo, Autoweek)
Sunday’s outcome means that Perez is in the form of his life. In addition to winning on Sunday, he finished 2nd in the Turkish Grand Prix. Those results mean that he now sits in 4th place in the Drivers World Championship behind Hamilton, Bottas, and Verstappen. Despite those achievements, Perez will not drive in F1 next year. The Racing Point team has decided to replace him with Sebastian Vettel (currently driving for Ferrari). And rather than dismiss Lance Stroll (RP’s other drive) to make room for Vettel, Racing Point chose to retain him. Stroll, by the way, is the son of team owner Lawrence Stroll.
The junior Stroll is not the first driver to receive a career boost due to family money and/or sponsorship. He won’t be the last. In 2021, the Haas team picked Nikita Mazepin (son of Russian mogul Dmitry Mazepin) over more experienced and talented drivers.
Talent and ability should dictate who gets to the top of any profession. But that principle won’t help Sergio Perez, who (if things remain as they stand now) will be watching from the sidelines next year. But if this is to be Perez’s swan song in the sport, being on top is a great way to bow out.
