“Sergio Perez is a number 2, or number 3 driver; he often disappears” - Former Ferrari driver gives blunt take on Max Verstappen’s teammate

Former Ferrari driver Rene Arnoux has claimed Red Bull's Sergio Perez to be a "number 2 or number 3" driver of the team analyzing his performance, further mentioning that he "often disappears" during the races.

Sergio Perez performed questionably in multiple races during the 2023 F1 season. Being in an extremely dominant car helped him finish second in the championship, but he once again lost the spot in the current championship after the Australian GP.

His teammate Max Verstappen retired on the third lap of the race owing to an issue with the brakes. Sergio Perez continued but only finished P5.

Ferrari's former driver Rene Arnoux, while reviewing the race for his former team, mentioned that Perez sometimes performs as Red Bull's "number 3 driver." He told La Gazzetta dello Sport:

"Of course, we missed Verstappen because of a technical problem, but Ferrari was good to be there, they made the most of the weekend.

"After all, we knew from the first GP that the car is much better than the one from 2023. It’s much closer to Red Bull, we had full confirmation of that in Australia. Not quite at Red Bull’s level yet, but almost.

"But then it’s also true that Red Bull only has one car in front. Because Perez is a number 2, sometimes 3. He often disappears.

With Carlos Sainz's victory, Ferrari now stands only four points shy of the lead from Red Bull in the championship.

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F1 pundit claims Sergio Perez has signed extension with Red Bull

2024 is Checo's final season on his current contract with Red Bull. With his performance in recent seasons, he was suggested to be replaced by another driver on the grid. Carlos Sainz was speculated to be one of the choices for the team as he will no longer race for the Scuderia at the end of this season.

However, F1 journalist Peter Windsor claims that Perez has already signed an extension with Red Bull past the 2024 season. He revealed in his YouTube video that his sources are "pretty reliable."

"I heard in the paddock area from various sources that are pretty reliable that Sergio has already renewed his contract for next year. In which case, you'd say, well, what was the rush?" Windsor said.

He also mentioned the situation that Sainz will face with a closed door at the Milton Keynes team:

"And if that's the case, well, that door obviously then is closed for Carlos Sainz."

Sergio Perez has been racing with RBR since 2021. Although he was a fan favorite in the season, his performance seemingly wore off over the seasons.