VIDEO | 3 Factors why Red Bull chose Sergio Perez over Alex Albon
General
Sergio Perez will have a Formula 1 drive in 2021 after he was confirmed to partner Max Verstappen next season. He'll replace Alex Albon who will become Red Bull's reserve driver, but where did it go so wrong for Albon and so right for Perez?
Confidence
Confidence is so important for a Formula 1 driver. Alex Albon seemed to lack confidence in a Red Bull particularly after his two incidents with Lewis Hamilton, in Brazil in 2019 and Austria in 2020. On both occasions he was on for a top-two finish only to be denied through contact which wasn't his fault. Perez on the other hand grew in confidence, knowing he might not have a seat next season, and this confidence culminated in his first-ever race win! No we don't think Albon would have been able to wipe the floor with the rest of the grid had those incidents not happened, but we might be looking at a slightly different set of events.
Form
Sergio Perez was one of the in-form drivers on the grid in 2020, whilst Alex Albon was very erratic, showing flashes of potential before he would suffer a dip such as a disappointing race result or exit qualifying in Q2. Perez also managed a significantly better points per race than Albon. With that in mind, it maybe justifies Red Bull's decision.
Experience
Alex Albon was thrown in at the deep end alongside Max Verstappen. He was required to compete at the top end of the grid and take points off other drivers, in a setup that just didn't fit him, much like Pierre Gasly before him. Perez has a lot of experience but even he could find himself struggling with the team so focused on securing Verstappen a first World Championship.