"Red Bull has not been able to use him to aid the strategy of Verstappen"
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- GPblog.com
Alexander Albon is under pressure at Red Bull Racing and has only three Grands Prix left to convince the leadership of the Austrian race team that he is the right man to sit next to Max Verstappen in 2021. Meanwhile Sergio Perez is waiting patiently. Mark Hughes explained in his column for Sky Sports that Helmut Marko, Christian Horner and Verstappen himself will have more to gain from a Perez in the RB17.
Albon is often more than half a second slower than Verstappen in qualifying. As a result, the Thai driver often has to start in the midfield and ends up in traffic during the Grand Prix. "As such, Red Bull has not been able to use him to aid the strategy of Verstappen by applying undercut pressure on a rival or defending from a would-be threat to Verstappen's race, " said Hughes.
The analyst thinks Perez is a more suitable candidate. "Perez is quick and combative enough on track That he could be used as part of the whole team's strategy in a way That just hasnt leg possible this year with Albon. He is not the outright fastest qualifier in the business (see chart) , but could be relied upon to put the car in the right part of the grid, which in the current state of competitive play for Red Bull is the second row."
Perez excellent on Sunday
While Perez may not be the fastest on Saturday, it is different during the races. "He is then super-effective on race day, superb with the tires, strong wheel-to-wheel, and with an uncanny knack of converting his pace to the maximum points haul." The Mexican driver is currently in fourth place in the World Championship, despite having to miss both Grands Prix at Silverstone due to positive coronavirus tests.