Max Verstappen’s dominance at Red Bull has been nothing short of spectacular, with the Dutch driver securing four consecutive Drivers’ Championships from 2021 to 2024. However, his success has highlighted a recurring issue for the team: the struggle to get the second seat performing at a competitive level. This isn’t the first time Red Bull has faced this problem, as Sebastian Vettel similarly dominated from 2010 to 2013 while his teammates failed to challenge for titles.
The Sergio Perez Conundrum
Sergio Perez’s departure from Red Bull at the end of the 2024 season marked the end of a tumultuous four-year partnership. While Perez showed early promise with four podiums in the first five races of 2024, his performance nosedived afterward. He scored just 67 points after the Chinese Grand Prix, with only nine points coming in the final eight races.
Perez’s struggles were starkly contrasted by Verstappen’s dominance. In 2024, Verstappen amassed 437 points to Perez’s 152, a gap of nearly 300 points. This imbalance cost Red Bull dearly in the Constructors’ Championship, as they fell to third place.
Former Aston Martin strategist Bernie Collins, who worked with Perez during his Force India/Racing Point days, expressed frustration over the situation. “I’d worked with Checo previously in McLaren, I’d worked with him all of his time at Force India,” she told the Red Flags podcast. “He made a lot of strategies really work, and as for Red Bull, I can’t really comment on what’s exactly going wrong there, but it’s a bit frustrating.”
A History of Second Seat Struggles
Red Bull’s second-seat issues aren’t new. During Vettel’s championship-winning streak from 2010 to 2013, his teammates—Mark Webber and later Daniel Ricciardo—struggled to match his performance. Collins questioned whether Red Bull is doing enough to address this recurring problem.
“From a whole package, be it does the car need to be substantially changed from what Vettel drives and everyone that we’ve put against Vettel, that would appear to be the case. So did that not happen?” she asked. “Did they not work together as a group? Surely they could have improved the performance year on year, race on race.”
Collins also praised Perez’s mental strength and ability to bounce back from setbacks. “For me, Checo has this really good mental strength. He’s the first person to come into the office and say, ‘Oh, that was a crap qualifying because we were like, whatever, whatever, how are we going to win the race?’ He’s the first person to turn that around even before I’ve done that.”
The Road Ahead: Liam Lawson Steps In
With Perez’s departure, Red Bull has turned to Liam Lawson for the 2025 season. Lawson, a promising young driver, has been tasked with supporting Verstappen’s title bid. Red Bull advisor Helmut Marko has made it clear that Lawson’s primary role is to “help” Verstappen win championships.
However, Collins emphasized that Red Bull must address the underlying issues with the second seat to remain competitive in the Constructors’ Championship. “Red Bull really need to get that second seat working to continue winning Constructors’ whoever is in it. Not quite sure how it’s gone wrong, but it’s a pity to see Checo go.”
]Red Bull’s second-seat struggles have been a persistent challenge, overshadowed by the brilliance of drivers like Verstappen and Vettel. While Verstappen’s dominance has brought individual glory, the team’s inability to maximize the potential of the second seat has cost them in the Constructors’ Championship.
