Horner rewards Perez with new contract: "Magnificent team player"

The perfect teammate for Verstappen

It took Red Bull a long time, but they finally found the perfect teammate for Verstappen. The Dutchman had help from Perez in the crucial Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, and now it seems as if Perez is able to challenge for frequent podiums. He even claimed pole positon in Jeddah, and won the Monaco race as Horner highlights. 

"Since joining Oracle Red Bull Racing, Checo has done a fantastic job. Time and again he has proved himself to not only be a magnificent team player but as his level of comfort has grown he has become a real force to be reckoned with at the sharp end of the grid," Horner said in the report.

After seven races in the 2022 season, Perez is only 15 points behind his Dutch teammate and some suggest he is still in the fight for the 2022 World Championship. Some question marks were raised when the team ordered the two drivers to swap over in Spain, but Perez was clear he had the full support of the team in Monaco. With a contract until 2024, Perez is now assured. 

"This year he has taken another step and the gap to World Champion Max has closed significantly, evidenced by his superb pole position in Jeddah earlier this year and by his wonderful win in Monaco just last weekend. For us, holding onto his pace, race craft and experience was a no-brainer and we are delighted that Checo will continue to race for the team until 2024. In partnership with Max we believe we have a driver pairing that can bring us the biggest prizes in F1," Horner added.