Leaving Asia with six races left, the season’s end is in sight, and many fans are looking forward to something more exciting for next year.
There is much to be digest for Perez as he was 177 pts behind Max, and before today’s sprint race, he was the only one who mathematically could still challenge Max for the championship. But we all know that is never going to happen. This is not a criticism of Perez as by partnering himself with Max, he is going to be judged not by winning but by the gap between them, and that gap is quite big… it is as big as Alonso’s current points!
Compared to Hamilton and his previous teammates, their gap at the end of a season was usually under 100 (~60?) except in 2020, where Bottas lagged behind by 124 points. That said, 177 pts is not the biggest gap Perez has with Max. In 2021, he was 205.5 pts behind Max at the end of that scandalous season. All to say… it must be kinda of demoralizing being Max’s teammate, and you gotta empathize with the guy.
So how will Perez perform as he was on a dip (and a pretty ugly dip last race)? The forecast calls for a return to his semi-average form, and that last race was just an anomaly. Personally, I am hoping for the best, and if not, a better team that would be more encouraging.