Perez gets new chance at top team: "I am a different driver now"

Sergio Perez may get the chance of a lifetime in 2021. At Red Bull Racing, he has the opportunity to prove himself at a top team. Though critics say it's not the first time he's been given that chance.

Perez had the season of his life in 2020. Despite missing two races due to coronavirus infection, he finished fourth in the championship and won his first Grand Prix. The Mexican impressed Red Bull so much that they decided to bring him on as a replacement for Alexander Albon. Now Perez wants to prove that he can perform at a top team and shake off the label of a midfield driver.

Perez has spent his entire career in Formula 1's mid-table, but critics believe he has already had a chance at a top team. In 2013, he got to replace Lewis Hamilton at McLaren, which had been one of the top teams in previous years. In 2013, however, McLaren performed significantly less and ended up only fifth in the championship. At the end of the season Perez left the team.

Perez himself, however, believes that you cannot compare the Perez of then with now. "I am a different driver now. I have much more experience and understanding on the technical side," the Mexican told FormulaPassion. "As a driver I definitely feel more complete, moreover I have matured as a person and as an athlete. Rest assured: I will not fail this time."