Photo: Sergio Perez
One of my childhood friends is currently leading a fairly good life. He took on a senior management role at a huge automotive company and probably earns 10 to 20 times more than I do. But all that comes at a huge cost: almost zero free time and plenty of pressure.
We sometimes like to think that being successful is easy. Or that it guarantees happiness. Others will point out that it's lonely at the top. And there's a price to pay for everything in life. If you're a motorsports enthusiast, you may feel jealous of F1 drivers or MotoGP riders. But don't think for a second they've had it easy.
They had to go through years and years of training, failing, risking their lives, and fighting against hundreds if not thousands of competitors. And they live with the constant pressure of performing at the highest level, day in and day out. Max Verstappen might make it look easy, but he is also a sort of prodigy of the current F1 generation of drivers.
Meanwhile, Sergio Perez has had ups and downs since he joined Red Bull Racing in 2021. Some of you may remember Helmut Marko's subtle warnings last year, speaking about the Mexican driver's future with the team. At any given point, you can be sure the team has two or three options to replace Perez with someone younger and potentially more capable.
However, one of the main problems is finding someone with the right appetite and skills to win an F1 race who won't interfere with Verstappen's charge for a string of seemingly neverending records. Some fans would have loved to see Daniel Ricciardo making a comeback to the main team, but that's not likely to ever happen again.
Others think Norris or Piastri could be much faster than Perez in the RB20. But they'll probably have to wait a few more years before getting that chance. That's because Red Bull Racing has extended its contract with Sergio Perez for 2025 and 2026. Sure, he is down in P5 in the rankings right now. But the situation would have likely been different without the crash in Monaco.
The 34-year-old secured four podium finishes in eight races this year and has constantly improved his performance, going from P4 at the end of 2021 to P2 in 2023. Working with Max Verstappen, he has played a key role in helping the team to end the Mercedes domination after eight years. He is the most successful Mexican driver in F1 history and has proven he can play by the rules, even though he might still have dreams of becoming a World Champion before retiring.
But given his age and status for the next two years, that dream may never come true. At least he will still have fun racing and winning some races here and there, not to mention the yearly salary, bonuses, and fame that are part of the package. I guess the only question on everyone's mind regarding Red Bull Racing is: who will replace Checo starting in 2027?
You may be tempted to think of Logan Sargeant, seeing that Ford is returning to the sport. But maybe the team will make a surprise decision like bringing in Lia Block if she's consistent enough with her racing and popularity by then.
They had to go through years and years of training, failing, risking their lives, and fighting against hundreds if not thousands of competitors. And they live with the constant pressure of performing at the highest level, day in and day out. Max Verstappen might make it look easy, but he is also a sort of prodigy of the current F1 generation of drivers.
Meanwhile, Sergio Perez has had ups and downs since he joined Red Bull Racing in 2021. Some of you may remember Helmut Marko's subtle warnings last year, speaking about the Mexican driver's future with the team. At any given point, you can be sure the team has two or three options to replace Perez with someone younger and potentially more capable.
However, one of the main problems is finding someone with the right appetite and skills to win an F1 race who won't interfere with Verstappen's charge for a string of seemingly neverending records. Some fans would have loved to see Daniel Ricciardo making a comeback to the main team, but that's not likely to ever happen again.
Others think Norris or Piastri could be much faster than Perez in the RB20. But they'll probably have to wait a few more years before getting that chance. That's because Red Bull Racing has extended its contract with Sergio Perez for 2025 and 2026. Sure, he is down in P5 in the rankings right now. But the situation would have likely been different without the crash in Monaco.
The 34-year-old secured four podium finishes in eight races this year and has constantly improved his performance, going from P4 at the end of 2021 to P2 in 2023. Working with Max Verstappen, he has played a key role in helping the team to end the Mercedes domination after eight years. He is the most successful Mexican driver in F1 history and has proven he can play by the rules, even though he might still have dreams of becoming a World Champion before retiring.
But given his age and status for the next two years, that dream may never come true. At least he will still have fun racing and winning some races here and there, not to mention the yearly salary, bonuses, and fame that are part of the package. I guess the only question on everyone's mind regarding Red Bull Racing is: who will replace Checo starting in 2027?
You may be tempted to think of Logan Sargeant, seeing that Ford is returning to the sport. But maybe the team will make a surprise decision like bringing in Lia Block if she's consistent enough with her racing and popularity by then.
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