Damon Hill believes that Sergio Perez's experience in F1 has enabled him to cope better at Red Bull than previous drivers have. Since Daniel Ricciardo left the team after 2018, the driver in the seat alongside Max Verstappen has changed three times. Pierre Gasly was the first to make the step up in 2019, but was demoted back to AlphaTauri before the season was over. Alex Albon then switched to the main team, before being replaced by Perez after 2020. Gasly has since gone on to impress many with his performances at the sister outfit, and Hill believes that this puts him at a similar level to what Perez was achieving at Red Bull in 2021. "I think it's the same category," Hill told the F1 Nation podcast. "[Gasly can] deliver the maximum of the potential of the car, which is what he does on a regular basis. And he seems confident in himself too, without being overly brash! "He's got talent, that guy, he clearly has."
Perez's experience means he can "stand up" to Red Bull
However, whilst Hill praises what Gasly has achieved at AlphaTauri, he believes that the reason that the likes of the Frenchman have struggled at Red Bull - in comparison to Perez - is because of their lack of experience at the time. "The question is, what happens when a driver like that goes to Red Bull?" Hill said. "We've seen so many drivers bounced out of Red Bull. We were talking to Alex Albon earlier. I always felt that Checo, because he's had so much more experience, will be able to stand up to the forces within Red Bull that would make it difficult for a young driver. "So this is something that they have to learn, is to be a bit tougher when it comes to negotiating their place. And I think when you're beholden to Red Bull, because they supported your career, it's very difficult to say, 'Hey, wait a minute, I want it this way'. "So even if you've got Adrian [Newey] there, eventually they turn around [and] they go, 'You're going to have to find the performance in yourself'."
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