Sergio Perez and George Russell have near-term security with top-tier Formula One teams. But if their driving doesn’t improve soon, one has to wonder how long each will be in his current seat.
Sergio Perez captured headlines leading up to the Canadian Grand Prix, having just signed a new one-year contract with Red Bull that included an option for an additional year. That agreement effectively ties Perez to Red Bull through the end of the 2026 season. It was a surprise to those who speculated Red Bull would seek a replacement driver given Perez’s poor performances compared to teammate Verstappen.
Perez last won a Formula One race at the 2023 Azerbaijan Grand Prix, which was 27 races ago, while Verstappen has been victorious 23 times. That difference has led observers to conclude that Perez’s time with the sport’s top-level team was short. As the thinking went, Red Bull wants two drivers (not one) who can compete for wins and championships.
But that’s a questionable presumption. And in Sunday’s race, Perez did nothing to remove doubts about the caliber of his performance. He failed to make it out of the first qualifying section for the second consecutive race, which meant starting 6th on the grid in Montreal. In Canada, as in Monaco, Perez failed to make it to the final qualifying stages due to poor performance, not mitigating circumstances. Furthermore, he had a shaky race performance, spinning into the barriers, forcing him to retire, and Perez was in 17th place at the time of the mishap.
While Perez’s situation is unquestionable, it’s not hyperbolic to put George Russell in the same category.
While there is little doubt about Russell’s ability and performance, his evaluation is tied to being in the #2 seat at Mercedes. That status will change when Lewis Hamilton leaves the team after 2024 to return to Ferrari for the 2025 season. That shift will elevate Russell to the #1 seat, and with that comes expectations that he will compete for world championships. Yet, the record shows that Russell makes mistakes in high-pressure moments, and that characteristic was evident again on Sunday.
Russell made three crucial errors during the race that cost him a chance of a rare Mercedes race victory. Russell first out-braked himself going into the final chicane when trying to defend the lead from Lando Norris. That cost him the race lead to Norris and allowed Max Verstappen to pass, dropping him from 1st to 3rd place. Later, Russell made another mistake when trying to chase down race leader Verstappen. Again, it cost him a place to Lando Norris, who was close behind. The final Russell mistake came in the closing laps when he was battling with the McLaren of Oscar Piastri for the final place on the podium. After pitting for fresh tires while trying to overtake Piastri going into the final chicane, Russell made contact with the young Australian and almost caused both cars to crash out of the race. Luckily for Russell, both drivers continued unharmed, and he did eventually overtake Piastri cleanly to claim 3rd place and the final place on the podium. However, many people concluded Russell was lucky not to get any form of penalty for the earlier incident as he was clearly at fault.
The mystery is that Russell has the talent to win a Grand Prix. Consider this: this season, he leads his 7-time World Champion teammate Lewis Hamilton 8-1 in the qualifying head-to-head. However, a common theme is over-driving and making basic errors when chasing victory.
So, there you have it. There are big questions with issues to overcome for two drivers–Sergio Perez and George Russell–who have near-term security with top-tier Formula One teams. If their respective situations don’t improve, one has to wonder how long each will be in his current seat.
