He has become a force to be reckoned with

Red Bull team boss Christian Horner has praised Sergio Perez as the Mexican driver has been re-signed on a new two-year deal with the team.

Sergio Perez’s 2022 form made Red Bull’s decision to re-sign the Mexican as Max Verstappen’s teammate very easy, according to team boss Christian Horner.

Perez, who initially joined Red Bull on a one-year deal for 2021, showed flashes of promise throughout his first season with the Milton Keynes-based squad, but it was his willingness and ability to help Max Verstappen in his quest for the title that earned him the admiration of the team’s management.

Heading into 2022, Perez has clearly raised his performance level, scoring pole position in Saudi Arabia and being a very close match for Verstappen at almost every race so far this season.

Perez led the Red Bull charge in Monaco, coming home the victor after a bold strategy saw him jump both Ferraris. Just two days on from that victory, Perez has been confirmed as staying with the team on a new two-year deal – not a particular surprise after he was caught on camera saying “Maybe I signed too early” to Christian Horner.

Horner outlined the reasons for deciding to retain Perez, saying it was an easy decision.

“Since joining Red Bull Racing, Checo has done a fantastic job,” he said.

“Time and again, he has proved himself to not only be a magnificent team player but, as his level of comfort has grown, he has become a real force to be reckoned with at the sharp end of the grid.

“This year, he has taken another step and the gap to Max has closed significantly, evidenced by his superb pole position in Jeddah earlier this year, and by his wonderful win in Monaco just last weekend.

“For us, holding onto his pace, race craft and experience was a no-brainer and we are delighted that Checo will continue to race for the team until 2024. In partnership with Max, we believe we have a driver pairing that can bring us the biggest prizes in F1.”

Winning the Monaco…