Although Red Bull have been unable to find a suitable teammate for Max Verstappen, former Formula 1 driver Christijan Albers believes Sergio Perez could end that run. The Milton Keynes outfit have gone away from their usual approach of promoting drivers from their own program after Pierre Gasly and Alexander Albon failed to make the seat their own. Perez has so far been modest with regards to his expectations for 2021, but Albers believes he can carve out a role for himself much like Valtteri Bottas has at Mercedes. "Politically he does that perfectly", Albers stated on a De Telegraaf podcast. "If he's in front of Max this season then he's great, let's be honest. If he can settle nicely, is easy to deal with and Max gets along well with him, then I see a role that is similar to Bottas for Perez. Albers believes Red Bull would be wise to keep Perez long-term rather than risk burning out another youngster like Albon or Gasly. "I envision he will be under contract with Red Bull for a longer period of time. Marko is not going to move him that quickly," Albers added when asked if Perez can do well. "You cannot put another talent next to Max, because he will be crushed. If Checo can ensure that he gets the most out of it behind Max, then at some point we will get a second driver like Bottas is for Hamilton. Then he can do quite well and stay with Red Bull for a long time."
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