Former ToroRosso driver and Red Bull junior Jaime Alguersuari says Sergio Perez's currentpoor form means the Mexican would not have lasted a year in Red Bull's junior programme. In 2021, Perezbecame the first driver to sign for Red Bull from outside the team's academysince Mark Webber in 2007, after both Pierre Gasly and Alex Albon had flatteredto deceive upon their respective promotions from Toro Rosso to Red Bull. Under thewatch of Motorsport Advisor Helmut Marko, Red Bull are a notoriously demandingorganisation, and have a history of dropping drivers mid-season if they are notdeemed to be performing at the required level. The team alsouse junior team AlphaTauri – known as Toro Rosso until 2019 – to evaluate theiryoung drivers, with a view towards promoting promising ones to Red Bull Racing. Perez was hiredto replace Albon after a 2020 season in which the Mexican had driven well butwas facing an F1 exit after being moved aside to make way for Sebastian Vettelat Aston Martin.
Red Bull junior team "not successful"
Speaking onthe Sky Sports F1 podcast , Alguersuari noted that the decision to hire Perezreflected badly on the quality of Red Bull's young driver programme, and said the Mexican would not have lasted long had he been under the Red Bull umbrella. "The fact that Perez isdriving for Red Bull shows the Red Bull junior team is not successful," saidAlguersuari, who drove for Toro Rosso between 2009 and 2011. "The whole idea they told us andthe media is they are building champions, or the best drivers they can, to givethem an opportunity to drive for AlphaTauri in order for them to get experience. "For them to go somewhere else to find a driver at Red Bullis already controversial. It doesn't make sense. "You are spending millions foryears for many drivers to become champions in junior categories, to then gointo F1, give them very little chance and cross your fingers you have a goodcar - otherwise you do nothing in F1 if you don't have a good car - you are atthe back, then cross your fingers you drive for a winning car, which is RedBull. "We have to be clear thatCheco [Perez] was never in the junior team. If he was, considering how Helmut Markojudges drivers, he would not have lasted a year."
"Not acceptable" for Perez to be so far off the pace
Having won two of the first fourraces of 2023, there were suggestions that Perez might be set to challenge Verstappenfor this year's Drivers' Championship. However, since then, the Mexicanhas floundered somewhat, scoring only two podium finishes as Verstappen hasswept to six wins on the trot. Alguersuari said it was unacceptablefor Perez to be so far off Verstappen's pace, and suggested that severalother drivers would be closer to the Dutchman. "You have a winning car andhave to use it," said Alguersuari. "It's not acceptable that Perez is always half a second orseven-tenths slower. "If your team-mate is winning allthe races, you have to at least be on the podium, not on your best day being onthe podium. "You have to be closer otherwisethey have the right to replace you. "There are many drivers on the gridthat could definitely be much closer to Max."
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