Three teams Sergio Perez could join post-Racing Point in 2021

It recently came to light that Sergio Perez will depart the Racing Point Formula 1 team at the end of the 2020 season.

Perez, who has been with the team since its Force India days in 2014, is still to announce if he’ll be in F1 next year, but chances are that one of three teams could acquire his services.

Unfortunately for Perez, only one of the three teams could offer him a drive that’ll compete for podiums and race wins, but this option is also the least likely to come to fruition.

We list the three teams Perez could sign with for next year and beyond.

Red Bull Racing

This is the option that is most likely not to materialise, but rumours have been swirling around that the Mexican driver has been in contact with the Austrian team. If Perez does make a move to Red Bull, he’ll replace the underperforming Alex Albon and team up with the ultra-impressive Max Verstappen.

Pierre Gasly, who won the 2020 Italian Grand Prix in an AlphaTauri (Red Bull’s B-team), could retake the seat he lost to Albon midway through 2019. Still, the Red Bull bosses will be aware of the fact that Verstappen could unsettle Gasly (again) and have him in the exact position that saw him lose his seat in the first place.

Perez, at least, will give Verstappen a run for his money, but the team will be wary of him unsettling the aura that’s been built around their lead driver.

Alfa Romeo

Both Kimi Raikkonen and Antonio Giovinazzi, the team’s current drivers, are under pressure to perform, with both at risk of being replaced at the end of the 2020 season. One of Alfa Romeo’s F1 bosses expressed interest in signing Nico Hulkenberg should Raikkonen call time on his career, which leaves one seat open.

Perez could be in line to replace Giovinazzi. Still, he will have to contend with younger drivers from Ferrari’s young driver programme, including Mick Schumacher and Robert Schwartzman. Both of them are linked to 2021 F1 seats with either Alfa Romeo or Haas F1.

But Perez has the experience over the younger claimants, and his eight podium appearances in largely uncompetitive cars can’t be overlooked. This could come in handy when 2022 comes around.

Haas F1

Like Alfa Romeo, the Haas F1 team could be looking to replace both its drivers: Romain Grosjean and Kevin Magnussen. Both drivers are failing to perform and the team, at the last moment, opted to remain in F1 and not quit their involvement at the end of this year.

However, staying in the sport would mean being competitive and challenging for top 10 positions and possibly podiums when the regulation overhaul comes into play in 2022. This could be a reason why the Haas team would look at a driver of Perez’s caliber and pairing him with a young driver like Schumacher or Schwartzman.

Perez, who turned 30 in January this year, still has a few racing years left in him, and Haas could benefit from what he brings to the table.

Source: wheels24.co.za; gpblog.com; gpfans.com