Lewis Hamilton shares why he’s a fan of ‘really positive’ F1 rival Sergio Perez

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Sergio Perez will remain with Red Bull beyond the summer break after the team bosses met this week. The Mexican faced the very real threat of losing his spot on the grid after a dismal run of form.

While Red Bull could reassess the Perez situation after Singapore if he doesn’t improve, they intend to work towards a solution for his recent struggles. Their recent upgrades may have made the car more difficult to drive.

Perez is one of the longest-serving drivers on the F1 grid, having started 271 races. He recently overtook Felipe Massa (269) for a sole share of eighth place on the all-time list.

If he sees out his contract with Red Bull, which runs until the end of 2026, or continues in F1 with another team, he could surpass Michael Schumacher (307) and break it into the top five. Only Fernando Alonso (391) and Lewis Hamilton (346) are more experienced among the current crop of drivers.

And it’s only Hamilton who’s competed in more consecutive seasons. Perez joined the grid in 2011 with Sauber, and then graduated to McLaren after two impressive years.

That move was an infamous failure, but he rebuilt his reputation at Force India/Racing Point, winning his first Grand Prix in Sakhir in 2020. He’s subsequently won five more races at Red Bull.

Lewis Hamilton offers eight-word praise for Sergio Perez

Disney+ have recently a new four-part documentary series on Perez titled ‘Checo Perez: Never Give Up’. It chronicles his journey to F1 and the intense pressure he faced during a difficult 2023 season.

Hamilton was one of the drivers interviewed, and he spoke highly of Perez’s mindset: “He’s always really positive,” he said. “He’s a light-hearted dude.”

It was Perez who succeeded Hamilton alongside Jenson Button when he left McLaren to join Mercedes at the end of 2012. Before the Red Bull move, they were rarely in direct competition out on track.

The 34-year-old won praise from his team for his tigerish defending up against Hamilton in the 2021 Abu Dhabi GP. That kept teammate Max Verstappen within his rival’s pit window later in the race, enabling him to make the safety-car stop that likely won him the championship.

Max Verstappen social media post wasn’t the ‘brightest move’ amid Sergio Perez uncertainty

The scrutiny on Perez has only increased in 2024. And while his confidence around his future at the Belgian GP proved to be justified, there will still be plenty of noise after the summer break.

It’s still unclear whether he’ll see out the season, let alone race for the team in 2025. And so he’d be wise to line up some alternative options.

Sauber/Audi would apparently be interested in a Perez reunion if he became available. That could be an appealing project ahead of the 2026 arrival of the German giants.

At Red Bull, much could depend upon Christian Horner’s attitude towards the alternatives. The inconsistent RB driver Daniel Ricciardo and the largely untested reserve Liam Lawson are his main competitors.

Verstappen shared footage of a helicopter flight with Ricciardo post-Spa, which wasn’t the ‘brightest move’ in the eyes of one reporter. But there’s no indication that he’s pushing for a change on the other side of the garage.