One of this year’s biggest questions in deciding the top 50 was whether Perez deserves to be on the list. He’d started 2023 well, with two wins and two second places in the opening four races to hint at giving Red Bull team-mate Max Verstappen more than a notional title challenge.
After his Miami defeat, when Verstappen breezed past for the lead, Perez’s season started to crumble. In a car that has proved to be F1’s most dominant since McLaren’s MP4/4, the Mexican struggled to make regular podium appearances, limping to the runner-up position in the championship. The two wins get Perez over the line, but he’s lucky to be on this list.
