Not many may like Red Bull Racing after the past couple of years, not many may like decisions that have gone for or against them since 2021, but there is one decision they can make this weekend that everyone could and should get behind. Red Bull should absolutely prioritize Sergio Perez as driver #1 this weekend and no doubt do everything they can to boost him to victory this weekend.
With the drivers and constructors championship already well sewn up for the Bulls, they are in a position to try and orchestrate what would undoubtedly be one of the most popular victories in Formula 1 history if it were to happen. For almost all of his career at Red Bull, Perez has played second fiddle to the Dutch superstar, but this weekend, those roles should absolutely be reversed, this weekend is all about Sergio Perez. For all the help and defending done by Perez at Abu Dhabi 2021, Red Bull and Verstappen owe this one to Perez in Mexico 2022. This weekend, if Ferrari or Mercedes threaten the Red Bulls at the top, Verstappen needs to be the one to defend “like an absolute animal.”
This will easily be Perez’s best chance to win his home grand prix, and Verstappen will more than likely win in Brazil or Abu Dhabi to set the season wins record, but this race if I were a Red Bull strategist on the wall, has to be Perez’s to win. Red Bull have already locked up everything and have set every which record along the way this year, so they are in the position to prioritize Perez and give the Formula 1 world one of its most popular victories ever. Just seeing the emotion of Perez being on the podium here last year should be enough for Red Bull to swap their drivers roles this weekend, a decision that should honestly be pretty easy.
Whether Red Bull does this though is up to them of course. But they should see the writing on the wall as to how popular this victory would be and how much it would mean to Perez and the fans in Mexico City this weekend. Whether or not you like Red Bull or anything to do with them, this is a decision everyone would get behind and potentially send the F1 world and Mexico into complete delirium.