F1 pundit labels Sergio Perez as the best pay driver on the grid

Former Ferrari and Williams team principal Peter Windsor has called Sergio Perez the best 'pay driver' on the F1 grid currently.

F1 pundit labels Sergio Perez as the best pay driver on the grid

Sergio Perez (via IMAGO)

RB Formula One Team (VCARB) recently sacked Daniel Ricciardo due to his inconsistent performances and replaced him with reserve driver Liam Lawson for the remainder of the season. Some speculate that Sergio Perez might also face the same fate soon as he has experienced a significant performance slump. It was rumored that he planned to announce his retirement at his home race in Mexico.

Sergio Perez took inspiration from Leonardo DiCaprio’s character Jordan Belfort in The Wolf of Wall Street, emphatically stating “I’m not f***ing leaving!” to quash speculation about his future amid retirement rumors.

YouTube video

Former Ferrari and Williams team manager Peter Windsor asserted that if Red Bull considers replacing Perez, they must weigh the financial impact of losing him. Perez enjoys strong backing from Mexican sponsors and parting ways with him could jeopardize their finances.

FS Video

It is unthinkable that they will replace him before Mexico. If they want to replace him, they also have to keep the money from the Mexican sponsors in mind.

Peter Windsor told F1maximaal.nl

Windsor mentioned that while the sponsorship money from Perez might not seem very important for Red Bull, it is important for Christian Horner. He said that if Checo brings in $30 to $40 million each year and consistently performs well, he is the best pay driver one can hire.

If that’s the case, the team needs to become financially self-sufficient. If Perez brings thirty to forty million dollars a year to the team, and is quite fast, then there is no better pay driver in Formula 1.

Peter Windsor added
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Peter Windsor claims Red Bull will soon end their partnership with Honda, which will affect Yuki Tsunoda’s sponsorship backing

Red Bull began using Honda engines in 2019 before parting ways with them in 2022 to transition to their own powertrain based on Honda technology. VCARB driver Yuki Tsunoda hails from Japan and has managed to attract some sponsorship funds from his home country. However, Peter Windsor argued that many underestimate the challenges of securing sponsorship money in Japan.

Yuki Tsunoda (via IMAGO)
Yuki Tsunoda (via IMAGO)

Windsor said that the 24-year-old would likely struggle to raise more than three or four million dollars in sponsorship for his team following Honda’s withdrawal from F1, limiting his financial impact. Despite being a talented driver, Tsunoda could face a fate similar to Daniel Ricciardo‘s.

Yuki Tsunoda can bring some Japanese money, but I think people misjudge how difficult it is to raise sponsorship money in Japan. Yes, Japan has Honda, but Red Bull will no longer be in the same team with Honda.

Peter Windsor opined
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Teams may retain drivers despite subpar performance when sponsorship deals remain strong. Sponsors often have vested interests in keeping a driver in F1. In the case of Sergio Perez, despite his recent poor performances, his sponsors have continued to play a crucial role in making sure he stays with Red Bull.