In a sport where destinies change about every corner, not just in every lap of a Grand Prix, it’s always better to be in charge of your own destiny- is it not? And going by his natural talent and skill behind the wheel of an F1 car, it appears that to be a world champion someday is Sergio Perez’ destiny.
But then, with which particular Formula 1 team might Sergio Perez realize his long cherished goal?
Will he reach the highest possible annals of success in Grand Prix racing with Red Bull, his current team or will he make it to the very top with another seat in a completely different outfit?
More importantly, will he even step out of Red Bull or is the current talk nothing but typical F1 loosetalk that is purposely invented to give fans something to feed on when no apparent active racing action is happening or is bound to happen anytime soon.
Who knows?
What one does know, as a matter of factly, is that the current grapevine emerging from the F1 paddock is that Sergio Perez, the man dubbed Red Bull’s second most liked driver (obviously, after Max Verstappen) is likely to be replaced.
Now, before we pass verdict on whether or not the above is true, it makes absolute sense to factor in something that’s a fact and, thus no rumour: Sergio Perez’ current Red Bull contract runs only till the end of the 2024 F1 season.
Which basically means that Christian Horner has the option to either extend it or go for someone like Yuki Tsunoda, who in the view of the Japanese talent’s current team principal at Alpha Tauri, Franz Toast is ready for the big change of gear.
But again, that has absolutely no correlation whatsoever to what might be Sergio Perez’ future course of action at this point.
For what is known and is evidently clear is this- that Sergio Perez is absolutely determined to go all the way in his bid to claim a maiden world title with Red Bull.
Besides natural talent and the unbending desire to get better all the time, he’s got the motivation to do it. Moreover, Sergio Perez has got the means to do it; the RB19, is yet again, a belter of a fast drive and just the kind of machine that would have always given the likes of Ferrari and Mercedes a run for their money.
Is that all?
Having usurped a very powerful and talented grid already on one occasion (out of three) and that too, on the challenging street course of Saudi Arabia, Sergio Perez is hitting good form and at the right time.
His win may not have caused an incredible amount of pain to his teammate Max Verstappen but it could be argued that the Jeddah victory would have given the current defending champion something to think about.
And it’s that his Mexican teammate, who’s clearly, the more committed ‘team player’ of Red Bull out of the two is as determined to submit his contention for a title triumph as Max himself.
But that said, while speed and talent are all firmly in the company of Sergio Perez, the one factor that may come in his way of securing a longer future with the Milton Keynes-based outfit is his ‘age’.
By the conclusion of the 2024 F1 season, Perez would’ve turned 35. There are surely more younger drivers out there who, once paired with a faster car, can deliver the good for Horner and team.
On that count, take someone like Yuki Tsunoda, who if hired, as an example, may not at all mind playing second fiddle to Max, for as long as the talented Sagamihara-born is given a faster machine with which to bid for the podiums that, thus far, have been beyond his reach.
But all of that is just guesswork and conjecture. We don’t know what Red Bull have in their minds for real.
Maybe the current pairing works and given his good natured team player attitude, Perez would again end up being the sacrificial goat to a man who many know would not (if not never) let the Mexican through to take a race win.
Having said it all, the best chance for Sergio Perez to clinch a world title is 2023. The man also famously described nowadays as the ‘street king’ has the deadly combination of a winning attitude and the machine to get the job done. Even if that means thinking about his own endeavours and not serving Max when desired by the team.