Sergio Perez, Red Bull, Bahrain International Circuit, 2021

“Very extreme” driving style has helped me a lot – Perez

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In the round-up: Sergio Perez says his driving style, which former technical director Andrew Green recently described as “very extreme”, has served him well in his career.

What they say

Perez was asked about Green’s recent comment that he “had a very extreme driving style that was very difficult to get right at all tracks” when he was at Racing Point:

Well I think thanks to rather extreme driving we managed to get a lot of points, so in a way I think it’s helped us a lot in the past.

We just have to keep improving every year, try to make it a bit more complete. With every car you’re going to be adapting yourself so it has to be very specific on which aspect you say, where you pick it up. With ‘extreme’ you can mean a lot of things, but who knows?

Quotes: Dieter Rencken

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Comment of the day

Mick Schumacher hit on the problem with F2 and its predecessor GP2 today, says Roger:

I used to love the GP2 series because it produced some of the best pure racing you could see anywhere. But sadly they copied F1 with DRS and the comedy tyre gimmicks and I just don’t feel that the racing in F2 is anywhere near as good as it was before those gimmicks were introduced completely unnecessarily.

Yes fine they can go on about high levels of passing but a lot of it just comes across as fake now due to DRS or extreme levels of tyre degradation. You no longer see that quality racing and mega overtakes down purely to driver skill that you used to see in that series. It’s mostly easier DRS generated or because of huge tyre performance differences created by the degradation.

Hence why I don’t watch that series live anymore, I just catch the shorter highlight clips on F1 TV. It’s a shame as GP2 honestly used to be my favourite of the junior formulas and I used to watch all the races live which says a lot given how I usually am not so keen on spec categories.
@Roger-Ayles

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52 comments on ““Very extreme” driving style has helped me a lot – Perez”

  1. Of course, it had to be extreme, with a midfield car, it was necessary to be extreme to take it to the points, because the car alone does not do it, it is Checo’s “extreme driving” that has led that Racing Point to get podiums.

    I want to see how many points at the end of the season Vettel gets, or Lance, and with many more races, I would be surprised if at the end of the season Aston Martin reaches 125 points with just one of his cars, I want to see it, so we talk about the “extreme handling” of Pérez

    1. Agree, and we also have to consider the level of the 2021 car compared to the 2020, if the car is better than last year they need to score more than 125 points! Obviously this is on vettel, stroll never won titles or got lauded as a top driver or anything, so it’s not expected for him to do what perez did, but vettel who replaced him… let’s see.

    2. @luis He doesn’t seem happy with the ‘extreme style’ comment at all, and who could blame him when it was his style (whatever that was), that got them all the points like he said.

      Green’s comment was probably not meant as a negative, but then no driver wants a reputation for having an extreme driving style as I guess that could easily be seen as difficult to accommodate, and thereby eliminate him from some teams shortlist.

      1. @balue
        From what I recall from Sergio’s time at the FDA when he used to test with the Ferrari F60 (2009). One test was a head to head against Jules Bianchi in the same car in the same day. Luca Baldisserri later stated that Perez was indeed an aggressive driver which is a bit controversial to the fact that he is gentle on the tyres.
        However, the Pirellis being tyres with a lot of longitudinal grip and little lateral grip adapt perfectly to his driving style. Bianchi on the other hand, having raced in F3 more than Sergio, manages to better control the rear of the car. Therefore, he is not a driver that only uses the longitudinal grip of the tyres and the car. He is not a late braker but he rather tends to put a lot of speed in curves.

        1. Yes, the Pirellis are an unusual tyre which do seem to favour “aggressive” drivers (very noticeable when they were first introduced and possibly still the case).

          Hamilton was known for being hard on tyres in the first few years of his career, with the switch to Pirelli’s he suddenly became one of the best at conserving them and is now known as a “tyre whisperer”. Someone like Jenson Button was the opposite.

          So perhaps Sergio was lucky to join in the Pirelli era rather than an earlier era that may have been less flattering of his “extreme” style.

          I don’t think it matters either way, I expect him to be heavily outperformed by Verstappen, however I also think that Red Bull will benefit from having his experience in the second seat.

          1. Has anyone really properly looked at tyre life data from that era to prove that though? Is it assumed that they must have been hard or gentle on their tyres because of perceptions about driving style?

        2. @tifoso1989 Interesting, but whenever I watch Perez onboard, it seems he’s mostly apexing a bit later in the corners to avoid wheel spin when going back on the power, but it’s subtle so maybe I’m just imagining it because it’s what I’m looking for.

  2. I largely agree with COTD regarding F2.

    The racing in GP2 used to be some of the best in the world IMO. Drivers were able to push hard throughout the races & we got some fantastic close wheel to wheel racing & mega overtakes earned through driver skill. It was ‘pure racing’ in a lot of ways & that was what I used to love about that series.

    It never needed DRS, It never needed the silly tyres & the introduction of both did more harm than good as they worked to take away much of what used to make GP2 so fantastic to watch.

    1. Hear hear. Makes me really sad remembering those great GP2 races of the past and thinking of what it’s become. DRS was the cultural shift that many of us despised exactly for this, because it was bound to filter through to other series. It’s been such a poison.

      1. GP2 will never be as good as it was in 2012. This era was my favorite… and were 10 years on.

    2. Now I’m not excited for the new format.

    3. @stefmeister Spot on! Since introducing Pirelli and DRS nothing is even comparable to drives the likes of Hamilton, Perez or Bianchi put in good old GP2 days. Leclerc pitting for fresh tyres in a sprint (i repeat, sprint!) race in Bahrain and breezing through the field with ease because he had 4 or whatever seconds per lap advantage was predictable outcome. I don’t even remember what happened last few years, even though I watched it – it’s all so meaningless. On the other hand I will never forget amazing GP2 races and I’m glad older folks like you and me had a chance to witness it live.

      1. A cheer for the COTD and all above supporters. But remember, not only F2 has suffered, F1 has suffered the exact same fate, but less obvious due to the cars not being equal, gone are the race long battles that kept viewers on the edge of their seats, Bernie’s gimmicks have made F1 as exciting as a Chess match.

  3. “The federal government … even though this made no public health sense.”
    Article ends: “In 2020, bad politics crippled the health of millions, destroyed jobs and collapsed economies, all of it playing out as planetary heating accelerated. In 2021, only politics regrounded in scientific reality can begin to set the world on a path to the recovery of health, wealth and happiness.”
    FIA did a pretty good job getting through last year, (and from the little refresher in DTS, mostly for the right reasons – kudos Hamilton) as did Oz Premiers in WA, QLD, VIC & SA – which is why they’re experiencing the quantified respect of the public. Oz federal govt – not so much.

  4. Aston Martin’s arrival is a sign that Formula 1 is the centre of attention for OEMs.

    Has Aston Martin really ‘arrived’ or did they merely move title sponsorship from one team to the next (due to an overlap of some of the shareholders).

    If anything F1 is less linked to OEMs with Mercedes selling most of its ownership in the F1 team, and Honda announcing they’re leaving at the end of the season.

    PS still not sure that the cancellation of the Aussie GP as they did was the right decision. They should not have gone there at all, or continue without public.

    1. Continue without public was clearly the best option by Thursday night, while I have little faith in DTS as a record of events it did give a refresher on how chaotic it was.
      I think the stakeholders would’ve got there with more time to thrash it out (Victoria was busy with their actual duties, if Ron Walker was still alive to shepherd AGPC/VIC he should have got to a flagfall). Of course McLaren had the two cases so 1 team short. Anyway that’s what happened in the Nero/Spock timeline.

  5. So who would have thought that when Hamilton wanted to work for diversity he meant advancement of black people? (ah sorry, that should be capitalized Black I see..)

    1. I think that’s a disappointing comment @balue. Those involved in Science and Technology (myself included) acknowledge there is a problem with both opportunities and uptake from certain communities. For example, the percentages should be similar to the population as a whole which isn’t the case in terms of higher education and subsequent career prospects, such as becoming an F1 mechanical engineer. Sure he focusses on the black community but it’s better than doing nothing at all, which I’m guessing you would rather he did?

      Hamilton is trying to do something positive and seeing the wider picture instead of just looking at drivers, he’s focussing on F1 as a whole which personally I applaud.

      1. @john-h

        For example, the percentages should be similar to the population as a whole

        Except that it is more common than not that different groups have unequal outcomes. Basic common sense is that different sub-cultural habits will result in different outcomes. However, this common sense is ‘educated’ out of people.

        The woke belief that unequal outcomes must all be due to oppression is extremely dangerous, because it is the same reasoning that commonly underlies antisemitism. The logic is that Jews doing better than gentiles means that they are oppressing gentiles. Modern leftists have reused this logic, but then with white men as the group they hate. You only have to look at history to see how dangerous this is.

        Sure he focuses on the black community but it’s better than doing nothing at all, which I’m guessing you would rather he did?

        We commonly see that woke people refuse to accept the facts and address the real issues, but instead prefer to discriminate. If the choice is between not doing anything and discriminating by race, gender, etc, then I prefer not doing anything.

        After all, I’m not a racist, sexist, etc.

        1. This comment is complete rubbish. Just an excuse for discrimination to continue. Just ‘the way things are’. Lewis is trying to do something positive for a less advantaged section of society. What’s wrong with that!

          1. @phil-f1-21 The only rubbish here is your comment, because you don’t address the points and probably didn’t even read them. In fact you proved them more than anything.

          2. Yes it’s odd that those who have strong opinions about this subject don’t seem to want those who are experts in their field researching the subject to see what can be done to improve the representation of minorities in motorsport. Its almost as though they do not want their beliefs challenged.
            Interesting to in that there is not the same kick back for the STEM work that Hamilton has been doing these last few years with Alperton which tend to focus mainly on girls, or the new initiatives with Mulberry; again predominantly girls, or the Stemettes; which are exclusively girls.

          3. The problem is when you have someone like LH who is saying I will help you in life, but only if you are black. How is that not racist?

          4. @aliced So what you are saying is that the Commission should only do this if it covers every race across the world. And if they can’t cover every race they should not bother. How would that be possible or affordable? And by the same logic, not concentrate on F1, but include every motorsport class across the world
            And its not only if you are black. Its capital Black because it only covers Black African, Black Caribbean, Black British, and those with mixed heritage from those locations. That is the group the Commission have decided to sample. In the same way the sample motorsport will be F1. Noting as they do that they are expecting their research and findings to reach further than the sample group or the sample sport. And I think you will find the phrase ‘diverse groups’ in the tors would include those you would not tradition class as black.

        2. I think we would disagree on the definition of ‘common sense’ @aapje. Hamilton does not speak of positive discrimination (i.e. just hiring people of certain backgrounds not based on ability), but instead asking the deeper question as to why certain communities in (ok, mainly in the UK) do not seem as educated in STEM subjects.

          It’s not about ‘oppression’ which is clearly a very suggestive term in this case, and personally from what I’ve read I don’t think Hamilton is suggesting things have been done on purpose to ‘oppress’ in this particular issue which seems to be your reading of the situation, but rather looking around the paddock of highly educated engineers and mechanics, seeing no black skin and then asking – well why is this, is it right and if it isn’t can I do something about it?

          Look, I’m not woke, left wing, whatever… far from it, just like you are not racist, sexist, etc. but I do personally believe that certain communities are underrepresented in science and technology and asking why that is the case is a valid question to ask. I think Toto, Whitmarsh, etc. would all say the same.

          1. The way the questions are asked, already introduces bias. Almost all engineers are British or Italian. Lewis seems to take it for granted that the barriers are far higher for other nationalities…

            If you really care about diversity of this supposedly international sport, then why isn’t it a bigger issue that there are almost no American, Chinese or Russian engineers (just to name three humongous countries)? The obsession with black (Western) people is very much a cultural export of America. By adopting that racial obsession and not asking other questions that are just as legitimate, but that don’t fit the woke worldview, you are blinding yourself to the things they don’t want you to think about.

            Even if we would accept that the real issue is a lack of black British & Italian engineers, then the problem is that a genuine examination of the issues will presumably result in unacceptable answers. Lewis’ committee cannot really be honest without being called racist by the actual racists in power.

            but rather looking around the paddock of highly educated engineers and mechanics, seeing no black skin and then asking – well why is this, is it right and if it isn’t can I do something about it?

            There are very few black engineers to start with, even in the UK. Formula 1 seems like a pretty poor workplace compared to other engineering jobs with similar pay. So that requires people to really like motor sport to forego those better workplaces in favor of F1. Motor sport also ‘codes’ as very lower class for many, so people from certain (sub-)cultures may also feel discouraged by their peers/family from going into motor sport.

            So the obvious first question to ask, which is fairly easy to answer, is whether black Brits greatly like F1/motor sports far less than other groups. Getting this kind of information is standard marketing practice by big organizations like F1, who have various ways of getting this information.

            The woke narrative is that a lack of interest is due to a lack of role models and stars, but the most famous person in F1 is Lewis, who is black. So if there is still a relative lack of interest by black people in F1, that would disprove the woke narrative and support my narrative.

            So why hasn’t this data been published yet? My guess is that it doesn’t support the ‘right’ narrative and thus is not acceptable…

        3. I am not writing this comment in the expectation that I will change your mind. If you have made it this far in life without your ideology challenged, I doubt a forum comment on a F1 fan site will do so. You will probably need a much more dramatic, personal experience to change your views. I am writing this comment for future readers of this blog to show that not everyone on this site feels the same way.

          The idea that unequal outcomes is due to oppression is, in this case, 100% correct and valid. For centuries the social construct that people with darker skin color were inferior to those with lighter skin color was and has been used to actively discriminate, oppress, and institute systems that either overtly or covertly continued to repress people with darker skin color. This is a fact. To say now that everyone is born with equal opportunity and whatever you do determines your outcome ignores those centuries of oppression and racism. You can not have equality until equity has been established to pull communities who have not had the historical opportunities and access to resources that those predominantly light skinned communities have had up to a level starting point.

          This idea is not anti-semitic as you suggest. In fact there are many, many Jewish organizations dedicated to the same notion of promoting equity as the Hamilton Commission in all areas of society. Many Jewish groups in fact cite the Torah for their seeking to establish equity as justice for centuries of racial oppression, “Justice, justice you shall pursue”.

        4. You keep using the term “woke”, what do you mean by that exactly?

      2. @john-h This is obviously not about STEM or even diversity. It’s about black power which is hypocritical and chauvinistic, borderline racist. As if people of other skin colors doesn’t really count. It’s Black with a capital B. Try white with a capital W and see how you like it. When diversity means equality and that the body should matter, then there are a lot of different body groups that should count, but not so for Hamilton. It’s only black because he is black. It’s his people and that’s all that matters. Not a nice attitude at all.

        As for STEM, women is by far the largest group not relatively represented, but that’s not Hamilton’s concern unless they are black. Just like the plight of repressed Bahraini or Saudis will not spur Hamilton into action compared to blacks in USA, because they are arabs, and not his kind. How anyone can not be provoked by someone promoting a particular ethnicity over others under cover of fairness is frankly bizarre.

        1. So what you are saying is that all the people arguing for women’s rights should have been more inclusive and involved absolutely everything that was not also representative of society? That’s ridiculous, come on you’re better than this @balue. He’s black, he’s experienced underrepresentation of his background at all levels of motorsport and wants to do something about it, and just because he doesn’t include all things under the sun you criticise him for it. Sorry, that’s so dumb I just cannot fathom your point.

          And for the record, before this becomes too polarised I’m about as middle ground as they come, I’m far from being ‘left wing’ in case that’s an assumption anyone makes. Jeez, this is low level conversation.

          1. He’s black, he’s experienced underrepresentation of his background at all levels of motorsport

            Black is not a background, but a skin color.

          2. @john-h No what’s ridiculous is pretending you don’t know that this is all about Hamilton’s stated aim of DIVERSITY. Even you knew it was never about that.

            Also that you’re completely fine with one race being promoted over all others. Imagine coming to the Hamilton commission and having to prove you’re the right sort of race and being rejected for not being black enough. The whole thing is crazy. Especially when it’s based on the racist conspiracy theory that all non-whites are being oppressed by a white elite.

          3. you’re completely fine with one race being promoted over all others.

            I’m sorry @balue, you’re completely missing the point here. This is just one initiative out of many, no one is advocating the paddock be replaced with all black people (which really would be promoting one race over others), just like women’s rights does not mean replacing all men.

            I’m just going to sigh and give up now.

          4. @john-h What a ridiculous straw man argument. Sigh indeed..

          5. My argument is not straw man in the context of what you just said @balue.

            Encouraging certain communities to take up STEM subjects is not racist, just like initiatives that encourage girls to pursue engineering careers isn’t sexist.

    2. wonder why that got you all worked up?

      1. I read it as diversion tactics, its more and more common – I haven’t figured out whether it’s entirely cynical yet.

    3. Coventry Climax
      23rd March 2021, 9:53

      @John-H:
      The ‘common sense’ nowadays, is that there’s a global elite pedofile organisation killing young kids, down in Pizzeria cellars. That there’s a global elite that’s invented Covid 19, but cleverly had it originate in China, to have a grounds to suppress all others and take away their birth-right to party. That there’s a conspiracy for… oh well whatever.

      It’s not my definition of common sense. They are sentiments, without scientific basis, no matter how hard and continuous they try to scientifically ‘prove’ them, these sentiments. At the same time they do away with scientific research as a conspiracy too. Why should I believe them, while they ignore me?

      It’s a laugh, albeit a very sad one.

      You can’t argue about taste, but I thank you, and from the bottom of my heart, @John-H, for trying to and showing there’s still a few out there with common sense in the real meaning of the word.

  6. I didn’t expect Martin Whitmarsh to be in the mix. Among the people in the zoom call, I mean, and the only familiar name to me.

    Re Ricciardo’s tweet: I didn’t mind him getting quite a lot of screen time in the Mercedes-centered episode, which is my favorite out of the five (1-5) I’ve watched thus far.

    1. the five (1-5) I’ve watched thus far.

      I’m only at 2. Trying to spread it out over the week to make the gap to Friday season start as short as possible.

    2. I have also watched just 1-5. I liked the Ferrari episode most so far. Seb’s antics seem well planned and Netflix does a neat job of showing them all. Even the Bottas episode is good.

    3. he was referring to Bottas being naked in the sauna when he said ‘seeing all of him’

    4. @jerejj You know Ricciardo is only tweeting about the sauna scene right?

      1. @didaho I didn’t think he was solely referring to the Sauna scene, but nothing wrong with it, LOL.

        1. @jerejj I imagine he leaned towards original and a little past subtle when discussing the backside of a guy whose last name consists entirely of syllabic synonyms for the subject.

          1. He didn’t resist long

            Daniel Ricciardo
            @danielricciardo
            Mar 21
            I guess it’s the birth of Bottass. Dammit we’re immature. All I’d recommend is a tan. Was sunglasses sorta stuff. Otherwise, fair play lad.

  7. Agree with COTD. The novelty value of seeing someone lap 5 seconds a lap faster than anyone else and hence passing everyone wears thin quite quickly.

    Then again, if the job of GP2/F2 is to prepare the drivers in the best possible way for F1 – rather than being a ‘proper’ series on its own merit – the highly degrading tyres are probably a “must”.

  8. Re CoTD; during the GP2 days you also often had one team head and shoulders above the rest (ART in 2005 and 06, DAMS in 2010-12 and 14 and Prema in 2016 and 17). That’s one of the reasons why so many of the champions were not really top-tier single seater drivers. GP2 became a bit of a joke series especially between 2010 and 2014 where it seemed you needed a minimum of 3 years’ experience to fight for the title, while FR3.5 was at the same time promoting some strong names to F1.

  9. Re F2: It’s now become Formula “F2 Split From F3”.

  10. Congrats to the French Connection of Bourdais, Vautier and Duval for their Sebring 12 Hrs victory.

  11. Well, now i expect an analysis of Perez’s driving style in comparison to other drivers.

    What makes Perez’s driving style “very extreme”?

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