Pierre Gasly and Sergio Perez are unexpectedly connected by a surprising statistic: here are the numbers of a… unique season
No, Pierre Gasly hasn’t returned to Red Bull. Yet, the French driver has brought the same points total to his current team that Sergio Perez has brought to his team since the summer break: both have earned exactly 20 points, from the return to the track at Zandvoort until today.
In the graph (from the GPKingdom app), we can see the Mexican driver’s shocking performance: after a solid first half of the season, his points total has completely flattened out, with only a few exceptions.
According to leading Argentinian media, Sergio Perez has already been informed of his departure at the end of the season. The possible replacement? Franco Colapinto, though Liam Lawson is also a favorite to fill the seat, with Yuki Tsunoda further down the list. Now, all eyes are on these last three races, where the three contenders will have to compete until the very last meter for a highly coveted but challenging seat.
The drivers’ words
Here’s what Sergio Perez had to say to F1: “It was a mixed weekend, and we missed out on some luck today. Our tires were very cold at the start, which limited us, and then we pitted just before the red flag, so we were on the back foot from the start. We had some good battles out there, but it was quite difficult to pass.”
“The conditions were mixed all day, with the rain coming and going throughout the session, and it was also strange to do qualifying and the race on the same day. I’m glad we were able to race today and that the fans got to see some track action since the crowd here is very passionate.”
The Mexican driver continued: “Congrats to Max, he was strong all weekend and really charged through the field today. It’s a great result for the Team. This marks the end of a triple-header, and it was probably our most competitive weekend as a Team in a while. Hopefully, the final three races will be positive for our Championship battle.” .
Pierre Gasly, understandably in a much better mood after his third place in Brazil, said: “What an incredible day for the entire team. None of us could have imagined a double podium, but we did it, and I could not be prouder of everyone. It has been such a year: we’ve struggled at times, been at the back, and it’s been tough for everyone involved. But no one has given up, everyone stayed focused and motivated, and now we have two trophies for second and third place in São Paulo, which is simply fantastic.”
“We knew anything would be possible on a day like this with the mixed conditions. It was about being ready for anything and executing everything to the maximum. I’m very pleased for Esteban, too; he did a great race today. Our story is special; it’s unique and beautiful. We grew up together in the same area and karted since we were kids.”
“Not only did we both make it to Formula 1, but, incredibly, we became teammates, and now we share a podium together on the same team. It’s just unbelievable, and I’m happy for both of us. This triple-header has been intense, but we’ve certainly made progress. We have to keep pushing and stay hungry for the last three races because the Championship battle remains close” , Gasly concluded.
Photo: BWT Alpine F1 Team, Sergio Perez
