A Disastrous 2024
The Qatar Grand Prix turned into yet another sporting nightmare for Sergio Perez, who delivered another string of forgettable performances: from being eliminated in Q1 during the Sprint qualifying to retiring in the race following a spin, and even being overtaken by Franco Colapinto at the pit lane start. Once again, ‘Checo’ has been the center of criticism. Considering the many other missteps this season, it appears Perez’s time with Red Bull is nearing its end, despite a contract running until 2026.
Eighth in the Standings
Capping off a bitter season is Sergio Perez’s eighth-place position in the Drivers’ Championship, which will remain unchanged regardless of the outcome of the final race in Abu Dhabi. A spot on the edge of the top 10, all while his teammate Max Verstappen clinched his fourth consecutive world title. However, Formula 1 history has seen even greater gaps between two drivers on the same team, one of whom claimed the championship. To recall such a scenario, one must look back 30 years—curiously, with the name Verstappen still involved.
Another Max Verstappen, But Roles Reversed
The driver in question was Jos Verstappen, father of the four-time champion, who in 1994 was Michael Schumacher’s teammate at Benetton. On that occasion, the Dutchman performed worse than Perez, finishing 10th in the standings with a total of 10 points, compared to Schumacher’s 92, under a points system that only rewarded the top six finishers in a race. However, unlike Sergio Perez, Max Verstappen did not compete in all the season’s Grands Prix. After the first two races, Jos Verstappen was replaced by JJ Lehto, returning at the French Grand Prix after Lehto’s underwhelming performances. Third-place finishes in Hungary and Belgium followed, despite the scare of a pit stop fire at Hockenheim, but Verstappen lost his seat at Benetton after the season’s third-to-last race.
The Rebaque Case
One must go back to 1981, during Nelson Piquet’s first championship-winning season, to find a similar gap between a champion and his teammate. Hector Rebaque, Piquet’s teammate at Brabham, finished 10th in the standings with 11 points over 15 Grands Prix. Looking further back, notable cases include Jochen Mass (ninth in 1976 with McLaren when James Hunt won the title), Dave Walker (scoring zero points in 1972 with Lotus, while Emerson Fittipaldi won the championship), and John Miles (19th in 1970 alongside Jochen Rindt with Lotus). In the 1960s, examples include Jackie Oliver (15th in 1968 with Lotus, while Graham Hill won the title) and Trevor Taylor (16th in 1963 with Lotus, as Jim Clark took the crown).
The Points Difference
Ahead of the final race in Abu Dhabi, Sergio Perez has participated in every event of the 2024 season under a points system vastly different from 1994, factoring in Sprint races and a longer calendar (16 races then versus 24 now). Nonetheless, the gap between the Red Bull teammates is staggering: Verstappen has amassed 429 points compared to Perez’s 152, a difference of 277 points.
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