Red Bull has defended the decision to look outside their stable of drivers after signing Sergio Perez to replace Alex Albon for 2021.
Last season, the Thai driver struggled to adapt to the RB16 and was, therefore, rarely able to properly support teammate Max Verstappen as he tried to take the fight to Mercedes.
By contrast, Perez finished in the points at every race he finished last year at Racing Point, including claiming his maiden victory at the Sakhir Grand Prix.
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But with the Mexican the first non-Red Bull junior to join the team since 2007, it has left some wondering if the stable is failing.
“It’s not always possible to ensure a seamless supply of talent for Formula 1,” advisor Helmut Marko, who runs the junior program, told Servus TV.
“But if the others had such a track record such as ours with their own young drivers, I think they would be very satisfied.
“Even the drivers who did not go to Formula 1 with us still earn their money with racing today – in other words, doing exactly the job they love.”
Red Bull team boss Christian Horner also backed signing Perez, claiming they had given Albon every chance to prove himself.
“Max’s 2021 teammate has been a matter for debate and at times something that has yielded intense questioning and external pressure for Alex,” Horner said via MotorsportWeek.
“He handled this extremely well and it impressed me how much strength, resilience and class he has displayed throughout.
“All of us wanted to see Alex retain the seat for 2021. We, therefore, made the decision to evaluate the performances at the end of the season with a full set of data.
“Looking at the delta between our two drivers and given Sergio’s strong performances, particularly in the second half of the year, we made the decision that Sergio had earned the 2021 seat.”
As a result, Albon will step back to the position of reserve driver for this year, but Marko has vowed to give him every opportunity possible.
“We have assured him we will use him extensively in test sessions,” he told Motorsport-Total.com.
“There will be separate tests for the 2022 tyres. He will also do a lot of simulator testing and he will also be a reserve driver in many races. That involves the four cars we have so there’s a chance that he will be used there.
“In addition, we are ready to lend him out if a situation arises where another team needs a driver at short notice. He could enjoy some race mileage. It’s not the end, we’ll see whether we can stabilize him.”