2023 Oracle Red Bull Racing F1 Team

[chrisc90]

Thing is though, they actually need someone there to bring home the points aswell as Max. If Mclaren continue their form and can get 2nd and 3rd which nets 33points, whilst max is typically getting 25points, Perez needs to get 5th or 6th to match or better them.
It also helps with strategy....if others can get 2 cars on the podium and be within say 3-4 tenths on race pace, it starts to get to the point where 2 cars can out play 1. RB need a reliable rear gunner who is there to help with that stuff and at least challenge for a podium.

Dont get me wrong, checo has been on the podium 8 times out of 16 races so far which isnt bad, but needs to up his game a lot more in comparison to the others at Merc, Ferrari and McLaren.

[Just_a_fan]

There's no need to swap Perez out midseason this year. The WCC is secure and Max is going to win the WDC at a canter. Swapping Perez for someone else brings what to the party? Better to do the change over the winter when the team can manage the PR aspects without the distraction of races getting in the way.

You may well be right, but at the same time Lawson might get snapped up in the mean-time, and it's not as though RBR don't have form in this area, so I wouldn't say it's likely but I wouldn't be shocked either.

If RBR has Lawson under contract and they meet the financial (and other) requirements of the contract, he'll sit where he's told for now. If it looks like he isn't going to get anything out of it, he might try to go elsewhere, but a suggestion of a RB20/RB21 seat will probably be sufficient to keep him quiet for now.

[Just_a_fan]

Thing is though, they actually need someone there to bring home the points aswell as Max. If Mclaren continue their form and can get 2nd and 3rd which nets 33points, whilst max is typically getting 25points, Perez needs to get 5th or 6th to match or better them.
It also helps with strategy....if others can get 2 cars on the podium and be within say 3-4 tenths on race pace, it starts to get to the point where 2 cars can out play 1. RB need a reliable rear gunner who is there to help with that stuff and at least challenge for a podium.

Dont get me wrong, checo has been on the podium 8 times out of 16 races so far which isnt bad, but needs to up his game a lot more in comparison to the others at Merc, Ferrari and McLaren.

Yeah, but with Fernando having been on the podium 7 times and Lewis 5 times, both in much slower cars then 8 isn't that great. Lewis is only 33 points behind Checo when Max is 177 points ahead of him.

In 2021, Checo only took 5 podiums where Bottas had 11 (Max 18, Lewis 17). In 2020, Checo had 2 podiums when Max had 10, Bottas had 11 and Lewis 14. So is Checo perhaps showing his true (not very good) colours? Have is decent performances actually been stand-out performances from him rather than "typical"? It increasingly looks that way.

[FittingMechanics]

There is no reason to change Perez this year. If Red Bull (Verstappen) is as dominant next year, there is no reason to change next year as well. I think we might get Perez to start the year and then if the competition is tough and he is not delivering, we get a quick promotion of one of the drivers to his seat. Whoever they think is best at the moment (Lawson, Tsunoda or Ricciardo).

It doesn't make any sense to think a mid-season change would be an upgrade in that kind of pressure situation. If the competition is close, then it's unlikely that someone who hasn't driven the car is going to be competitive right off the bat to the point that it's a net benefit. The last person to ever do that was Verstappen himself and none of the people on that list are him.

Good point, I agree it is unlikely it would immediately solve issues but for sake of the thread, two counter points:
1. Red Bull did this before (Albon/Gasly) - not that successfully
2. Red Bull doesn't think they need to change Perez for 2024 - at least publicly.

[chrisc90]

Thing is though, they actually need someone there to bring home the points aswell as Max. If Mclaren continue their form and can get 2nd and 3rd which nets 33points, whilst max is typically getting 25points, Perez needs to get 5th or 6th to match or better them.
It also helps with strategy....if others can get 2 cars on the podium and be within say 3-4 tenths on race pace, it starts to get to the point where 2 cars can out play 1. RB need a reliable rear gunner who is there to help with that stuff and at least challenge for a podium.

Dont get me wrong, checo has been on the podium 8 times out of 16 races so far which isnt bad, but needs to up his game a lot more in comparison to the others at Merc, Ferrari and McLaren.

Yeah, but with Fernando having been on the podium 7 times and Lewis 5 times, both in much slower cars then 8 isn't that great. Lewis is only 33 points behind Checo when Max is 177 points ahead of him.

In 2021, Checo only took 5 podiums where Bottas had 11 (Max 18, Lewis 17). In 2020, Checo had 2 podiums when Max had 10, Bottas had 11 and Lewis 14. So is Checo perhaps showing his true (not very good) colours? Have is decent performances actually been stand-out performances from him rather than "typical"? It increasingly looks that way.

Domt forget theres 3 steps on the podium. Well, theres 2 other steps when you exclude Max and his almost permanent position at the top.

Tough one to call - especially looking at it like that. Theres a lot of angles you can view the performance of checo in - both good and bad.

[ME4ME]

Zak Brown faced reality and made the tough decision that needed to be made. Horner and Marko should too, imo. After Japan there is really no way around it anymore. Can't continue like this against ever increasing competition from driver combinations like Lando and Piastri, Hamilton and Russel, Sainz and Leclerc. Like said above, Red Bull and Max will get out-played 2 against 1 eventually.

[Sieper]

Zak Brown faced reality and made the tough decision that needed to be made. Horner and Marko should too, imo. After Japan there is really no way around it anymore. Can't continue like this against ever increasing competition from driver combinations like Lando and Piastri, Hamilton and Russel, Sainz and Leclerc. Like said above, Red Bull and Max will get out-played 2 against 1 eventually.

True. But I guess that will be up to redbull, if they feel they are potentially in that danger. Mercedes also kept Bottas (likely) until the moment they weren’t sure of their dominance anymore (aero Regs change) and when they felt Russell was ready for it. Max won the title in 21, true, not against Lewis and a driver of the caliber of George, but he won it last year too while Ferrari has two good drivers and the RBR wasn’t that much better (certainly not at season start).

There are also a lot of disadvantages to having two very good drivers. Plus, Checo isn’t that bad in the race. Sometimes very clumsy but can also fight hard and just inside the limit. He had bad luck at the start and spiraled downward. Bottas imho can’t fight for position like Checo can.

I’m not sure what is the best choice. Plus, Checo has an enormous fanbase which is good for a business to mass market consumer company like redbull.

[AR3-GP]

I’m not sure what is the best choice. Plus, Checo has an enormous fanbase which is good for a business to mass market consumer company like redbull.

viewtopic.php?p=1162822#p1162822

[Sieper]

I’m not sure what is the best choice. Plus, Checo has an enormous fanbase which is good for a business to mass market consumer company like redbull.

viewtopic.php?p=1162822#p1162822

I was for Hulkenberg too. When the choice seemed like Perez or Hulkenberg. For me they didn’t need to drop Albon either.

[Hammerfist]

It's obvious 2024 will be perez' last year in F1, he's never getting a renewal. Tsunoda or Ric will be in that seat in 2025, both of whom are nothing special themselves. Ric is washed and tsunoda a hot head without speed to back it up.

I don't think it's that obvious tbh.
I wouldn't be surprised if 2023 is his last. I don't think I'd even be that shocked if Suzuka '23 was his last race.

I would love it if they put Lawson in the rb19 whenever ricciardo comes back. I would be impressed. Never gonna happen though.

[djos]

It's obvious 2024 will be perez' last year in F1, he's never getting a renewal. Tsunoda or Ric will be in that seat in 2025, both of whom are nothing special themselves. Ric is washed and tsunoda a hot head without speed to back it up.

I don't think it's that obvious tbh.
I wouldn't be surprised if 2023 is his last. I don't think I'd even be that shocked if Suzuka '23 was his last race.

I would love it if they put Lawson in the rb19 whenever ricciardo comes back. I would be impressed. Never gonna happen though.

I agree, however if any junior driver has the maturity to survive and thrive at RBR, IMO, it would be Lawson and Piastri. Those two must be the most well-rounded Juniors to drive an F1 car in a very long time (even Seb V was greener, IMO).

[PlatinumZealot]

Perez definitely for 2024 and maaaaybe 2025. You see Perez is like Mark Webber in some respects. He is number 2, he gets angry about it only in moments, but doesn't go against the team, or hold long term grudges. he is still grateful to be there and has a good temperament overall.

When you all talking of rocking the boat... That is exactly what Danielle Ricciardo will do when he gets pumelled by Max again. Lawson is too early to tell. Might even see Hulkenberg in the seat.

[djos]

Perez definitely for 2024 and maaaaybe 2025. You see Perez is like Mark Webber in some respects. He is number 2, he gets angry about it only in moments, but doesn't go against the team, or hold long term grudges. he is still grateful to be there and has a good temperament overall.

When you all talking of rocking the boat... That is exactly what Danielle Ricciardo will do when he gets pumelled by Max again. Lawson is too early to tell. Might even see Hulkenberg in the seat.

Mark Webber was a million percent more reliable than Checo, he was actually in contention for at least 2 WDC's and never finished worse than 3rd in the championship. Let's not forget that both Alonso and Hamilton were fairly competitive in several of those seasons too. It was only in Mark's final season that Seb scored double the points of Mark - Mark could not get to grips with the crap tires Pirelli brought in 2013.

https://www.motorsport.com/general/news ... 20to%20two.

[ringo]

When young driver testing starts at year end we will see Yuki and Riciardo in that rb19. I do not think Perez will even be asked to show up.
Riciardo will rock the boat but I think he knows he is not as race sharp and will be more relaxed. He will only try to beat Max if he gets his mojo back and that wont be any time soon.

[TimW]

In 2021, Checo only took 5 podiums where Bottas had 11 (Max 18, Lewis 17). In 2020, Checo had 2 podiums when Max had 10, Bottas had 11 and Lewis 14. So is Checo perhaps showing his true (not very good) colours? Have is decent performances actually been stand-out performances from him rather than "typical"? It increasingly looks that way.

Pretty decent in a Racing Point I'd say?