Checo gets Red Bull seat, Albon demoted to reserve
Checo #Checo
Sergio Perez will race alongside Max Verstappen for Red Bull next season, with the Mexican agreeing to terms on a deal with the constructors’ championship runner-up.
Perez, 30, finished fourth in the drivers’ standings this past year, winning his first career race at the Sakhir Grand Prix as a member of Racing Point. Verstappen and Mercedes drivers Lewis Hamilton and Valtteri Bottas were the only drivers who performed better by points.
“The chance to race for a championship-contending team is something I have been hoping for since I joined Formula One, and it will be a proud moment to step onto the grid in Red Bull colors alongside Max,” Perez said in the release.
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Checo lost his seat at the Lawrence Stroll-owned Racing Point. The team went with Stroll’s son, Lance, and four-time champion Sebastian Vettel.
Perez will replace Alex Albon, who disappointingly finished seventh in the standings. Albon, 24, will act as Red Bull’s reserve driver for the season, while its sister team, AlphaTauri, has already employed Pierre Gasly and newcomer Yuki Tsunoda.
The move marks Verstappen’s fourth different teammate to start a season in four years – Daniel Ricciardo in 2018, Gasly in 2019, and Albon, who took over for Gasly midway through 2019 and retained the seat to start 2020.
Red Bull finished second in the constructors’ championship standings last year with 319 points, well ahead of a crowded midfield comprised of McLaren, Racing Point, Renault, and Ferrari.
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