Perez on the up after Monaco: "He will need to take the next step"

Red Bull Racing took victory with Max Verstappen on Sunday afternoon, but Sergio Pérez did not fare badly either. The Mexican driver narrowly missed out on the podium with a fourth-place, but showed that he is improving himself. Edd Straw sees a positive future for Pérez.

The Austrian formation has been trying for years to get the right teammate alongside Verstappen. After Daniel Ricciardo left the team, Red Bull tried with Pierre Gasly and Alexander Albon. Both drivers however could not live up to the high expectations. With Pérez Red Bull hopes to have found a driver for the coming years.

The driver had a rough start but has been improving himself more and more in recent weeks. "In the coming races he will need to take the next step," Straw suggests in his analysis The Race. "The signs are quietly promising. If he does that, it will be good news for Verstappen, Red Bull and Perez’s future with the team."

Spanish Grand Prix

Straw knows that it is important to have two strong drivers and calls the Spanish GP an example. "Had he been there, it might have prevented Mercedes taking the extra pitstop that set up Hamilton’s victory given that would have meant ceding a place to Perez. While the Mercedes would likely have passed Perez, Hamilton could have lost significant time and tyre performance doing so that might have made his pursuit of Verstappen impossible."