Confirmed: Sergio Perez joins Red Bull, Albon becomes reserve
Mexican will drive beside Max Verstappen in 2021 F1 season; Alex Albon stays on in reserve capacity
Red Bull Racing has confirmed its driver line-up for the 2021 Formula 1 season will feature Sergio Pérez.
Pérez, who became the first Mexican to win an F1 race in more than 50 years at the recent Sakhir Grand Prix, will race alongside Max Verstappen.
Verstappen’s team-mate for the 2020 season, Alex Albon, will remain at Red Bull but in a reserve role.
The Anglo-Thai driver had a difficult debut season with Red Bull after moving up from the company’s second F1 team, Toro Rosso (now AlphaTauri).
He finished seventh, a full 109 points away from Verstappen and 20 points behind Pérez in a Racing Point car, reaching the podium only twice.
Red Bull Racing team principal Christian Horner said: “Alex is a valued member of the team, and we thought long and hard about this decision. Having taken our time to evaluate all the relevant data and performances, we have decided that Sergio is the right driver to partner Max for 2021 and look forward to welcoming him to Red Bull Racing."
Pérez delivered his best season in 10 years of racing in F1 yet still faced uncertainty after being dropped by Racing Point (now renamed Aston Martin) for 2021 late in the season in favour of four-time world champion Sebastian Vettel, who was dropped by Ferrari.
The 30-year-old looked likely to take a sabbatical if he couldn't secure a seat with a competitive team.
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