Did Pink Bull make the fitting choice with Sergio Pérez?

On Monday, Pink Bull made it official. Regardless of weeks of hypothesis Christian Horner introduced to crew staff at their Milton Keynes manufacturing facility that Sergio Pérez — who signed a brand new deal earlier this season to stay with the crew by doubtlessly the 2026 season — would proceed driving alongside Max Verstappen when the season resumes in August. With Pérez faltering in current weeks, hypothesis grew that Pink Bull, going through a authentic title combat, would make a change.

Nevertheless, that hypothesis grows quiet now. But questions on whether or not Pérez will hold his seat have now shifted to questions over whether or not Pink Bull made the fitting choice.

Let’s dive into either side of that situation.

The case for change

The case for Pink Bull making a change begins with a one-word description utilized by Horner in current weeks to explain Pérez’s present kind.

Unsustainable.

As has been outlined right here and elsewhere, Pérez has struggled since Miami. During the last eight race weekends, Pérez has banked simply 28 factors, effectively off the tempo of drivers on the entrance of the sector:

That subpar run of kind has seen Pérez tumble from second within the F1 Drivers’ Championship standings to seventh, and had George Russell’s win stood within the Belgian Grand Prix, Pérez would have fallen to eighth. Because it stands Pérez is barely 15 factors away from Russell, a niche that might be erased when the grid returns later subsequent month.

Whereas Pink Bull can really feel considerably comfy that Verstappen stays within the driver’s seat for the Drivers’ Championship, the state of affairs with the Constructors’ Championship is way much less sure. Pérez’s poor run of kind is only one issue within the equation, however Pink Bull left Miami with a 52-point benefit over second-place Ferrari, and a 115-point benefit over third-place McLaren.

For the time being Pink Bull leads McLaren by simply 42 factors. It’s mathematically attainable — albeit unlikely — that McLaren can take the lead within the championship at Zandvoort subsequent month. However with McLaren constantly scoring factors with each Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri they continue to be the most important menace to Pink Bull in the intervening time, and that consistency is essential. McLaren stays the one crew on the grid that has seen each drivers rating factors over each race weekend this season, because of Piastri salvaging factors within the F1 Dash Race in Miami and Norris doing the identical within the F1 Dash Race in Austria.

On the flipside, Pink Bull has endured three race weekends, all in current weeks, the place solely Verstappen completed within the factors. They’ve additionally seen two races — Imola and Spain — the place Pérez added simply 4 factors at every occasion.

It’s that lack of consistency in current weeks, which has seen McLaren pull to inside authentic putting distance of Pink Bull, that put Pérez underneath strain. A scarcity of consistency that Horner known as “unsustainable.”

Additionally it is price noting that Horner made that remark following the British Grand Prix, and the tripleheader that introduced the grid from Spain to Austria and eventually Silverstone. Pérez scored simply 11 factors over these three races.

Over the 2 race weekends since then, he scored 13 factors. An enchancment, however sufficient to maintain him in his seat?

Apparently.

Nevertheless, if that “unsustainable” kind continues and it prices Pink Bull a Constructors’ title — and the tens of millions of {dollars} that include it — they could have solely themselves guilty.

The case for Pérez

Whereas the case for making a change at Pink Bull facilities on Pérez’s kind being “unsustainable,” there’s maybe a neater case to be made on the opposite facet of the problem, a case that entails a number of pillars of assist.

First, contemplate one thing that Horner reportedly advised Pink Bull staff at Milton Keynes on Monday. In keeping with a number of reviews, Horner advised the crew that the upcoming races are circuits the place Pérez has had success earlier than.

That’s completely the reality. The following three races — Zandvoort, Monza, and Baku — are all circuits the place Pérez has excelled. Pérez completed fifth within the Dutch Grand Prix in 2022 and fourth final season, and completed second at Monza a 12 months in the past. The Azerbaijan Grand Prix was his playground a 12 months in the past, as he not solely received the F1 Dash Race at Baku final season however he circled and received the Grand Prix on Sunday. Actually, the 33 factors Pérez banked that weekend pulled him to inside six factors of Verstappen atop the Drivers’ Championship, main some to surprise if we’d see a battle between teammates for the title.

Then final 12 months’s summer season swoon hit Pérez, which erased any such notions.

As well as, some races are coming later within the season the place Pérez has been robust up to now, together with Las Vegas, the place he captured a podium end within the inaugural Las Vegas Grand Prix a 12 months in the past. He has additionally been robust at the USA Grand Prix in addition to the São Paulo Grand Prix.

Then after all there’s his house race, the Mexico Metropolis Grand Prix. Whereas Pérez crashed out of his house race final season on the opening lap he completed third there in 2022, and Pink Bull would possibly view it as critically necessary to have Pérez of their automobile that weekend.

So the primary pillar of the pro-Pérez argument is the upcoming schedule.

The following pillar? A fast dive into the larger outcomes image.

As highlighted by famous F1 journalist Joe Saward on Twitter/X, Pérez’s kind so far in 2024 is sort of an identical to his kind final 12 months. Contemplate this: A 12 months in the past Pink Bull scored 860 factors as a crew, with Pérez banking 285 of these factors, good for 33% of Pink Bull’s 2023 tally.

As we attain the summer season break Pink Bull has scored 408 factors, with 131 coming from Pérez.

Which comes out to 32%.

Whereas there isn’t a denying that Pérez has struggled in current weeks, he’s nonetheless virtually on the an identical tempo from a 12 months in the past, with some favorable circuits developing after the break. The truth that Pink Bull is in a title combat might need extra to do with the power their rivals have proven in current months than Pérez’s struggles this season.

Then there’s this, an adage that comes from the NFL world that holds that if a crew has three quarterbacks, it actually has none. The thought is that if a coach has three quarterbacks to select from, then one has not solidified themselves as your best option and the clear beginning QB.

That leads us to the three choices into consideration: Liam Lawson, Daniel Ricciardo, and Yuki Tsunoda. All three drivers have strengths that they might deliver to Pink Bull.

However in addition they have questions. As rumors swirled concerning Pérez’s standing at Pink Bull all three had been mentioned as potential replacements, however a transparent contender for that seat by no means really emerged.

Moreover, think about what would occur if Pink Bull certainly made a change: Pérez’s confidence could be in tatters if he had been benched or demoted, and whereas the substitute would get a lift the 2 drivers handed over for a promotion would even be left questioning their place with the crew.

So finally Pink Bull confronted a situation the place they fractured a number of relationships inside the crew for an unsure outcome. One thing concerning the devils you already know appears to use right here …

To deliver this a part of the argument to an in depth, one final level on Pérez and the place Pink Bull might go from right here. In keeping with new reporting on Tuesday, one of many takeaways from Pink Bull’s inner discussions Monday at Milton Keynes was that the crew wanted to do a greater job of placing Pérez able to achieve success. As reported by Motorsport:

It’s understood that one of many outcomes of the discussions between Horner and Marko was that if Pink Bull might discover methods to offer Perez extra of what he wanted from his automobile, then that was a greater path to delivering outcomes than throwing somebody new in.

Horner’s tone specifically was notable on Sunday in Belgium when he instructed that what was wanted was extra assist for Perez, moderately than pulling the rug from beneath his ft.

“What’s irritating for everyone is Checo struggling as a result of no person desires to see him battle,” he defined.

“All people desires to see him succeed. The crew has been and is correct behind him. All people desires to see him succeed, as a result of it hurts seeing him within the state of affairs that he’s in.”

Whereas it’s not clear what this further assist for Perez means going ahead, it’s prone to contain a root-and-branch overview of every thing across the Mexican and the crew to ensure he’s comfy.

This might embody enhancing the assist construction round him, the individuals he works with, and the precise make-up of his automobile – with it broadly understood that the route of upgrades over current months has taken a stage of consolation away from him.

As an alternative of adjusting drivers, possibly Pink Bull must change the automobile for Pérez.

The decision

From my vantage level within the low-cost seats, sticking with Pérez makes probably the most sense total. He has a good schedule developing and is on tempo along with his efficiency a season in the past, and a change at this level within the season carries with it a number of unknowns, in addition to the chance of inflicting additional injury inside the group.

In fact, the final word verdict won’t be rendered by me, however moderately by the standings.

Ought to Pink Bull hold on and safe the Constructors’ Championship, then their choice to stay by Pérez will seem to have paid off. Notably if, as Horner appears to foretell, he enjoys a robust run of kind on the upcoming circuits left on the schedule.

If, nevertheless, his swoon continues and Pink Bull fumbles away the Constructors’ Championship, and the tens of millions that include that accomplishment, it’s also simple to foretell the tales that may comply with.