Otmar Szafnauer, who previously managed Sergio Perez, claims that the Mexican driver is still the most suitable teammate for the three-time world champion Max Verstappen next season. As the current season winds down, Perez faces an uncertain future since his contract with the dominant Red Bull team is nearing its end. Speaking to the press at an F1 event in Abu Dhabi, the former head of Alpine, Aston Martin, and Force India expressed his full confidence in 'Checo' as the right choice for the team.
Szafnauer noted that knowing Perez as well as he does, he wouldn't replace him with anyone else, stating that if he were in Christian Horner's shoes, he'd keep him for another year. He admitted that while there have been some low points and a few races where Perez didn't finish as high as he should have, his general performance this year has been solid. After five races, Perez holds second place in the standings, having secured three second-place finishes and one third. He is now preparing for the Miami GP, recalling his success there last year when he claimed pole and finished second. This follows a long tenure of seven seasons with Force India and Racing Point before he transitioned to Red Bull in 2021.
Perez is second in the standings after five races, with three seconds and a third, and will return to Miami this weekend, where he won the pole and finished second to Verstappen last year. The Mexican spent seven seasons in Force India/Racing Point, now Aston Martin, before joining Red Bull in 2021.
While Max Verstappen is dominating with four wins in five races this year (and 19 wins from 22 last season), Szafnauer simply put it that 'Max is just better,' despite rumors of Mercedes trying to lure the champion away. Szafnauer, who is currently on 'gardening leave' and promoting a travel app for events, pointed out that while Perez has never been a standout in qualifying, his real strength lies in his race management and strategic driving.
Reflecting on their time together, Szafnauer mentioned that it's rare to question Perez's decision-making during a race. He recalled only one instance in Singapore where frustration led to a collision with a Williams; otherwise, he praised Perez's ability to overtake cleanly and efficiently. He compared him to Nico Hulkenberg, noting that while Hulkenberg might be faster over a single lap, Perez's superior tire management almost always allowed him to come out on top by the end of the race.
As for the veterans of the sport, the 36-year-old Hulkenberg has secured his future with a move to Sauber for 2025, transitioning to Audi in 2026. This trend of experienced drivers staying competitive is evident across the grid, with the legendary Lewis Hamilton set to join Ferrari at age 40, and Fernando Alonso continuing to compete for Aston Martin at 42.