Finding the right #2 driver is as much art as science. Teams need someone talented enough to score podiums, and savvy enough to understand their role. Make a mistake, and your #1 driver can spend the season dragging dead weight, particularly in the fight for the constructor's title. Which brings us to Sergio Pérez (who just announced he'll be leaving Red Bull).
Red Bull Racing brought Pérez aboard for 2021 to complement then-wunderkind Max Verstappen. Over that season and the next two, the Mexican driver largely held up his end of the bargain, delivering podiums and backing a dynastic run for Red Bull and Verstappen. Especially in 2022 and 2023, Sergio Pérez represented the ideal No. 2 driver — a constructor’s championship cheat code.
