Formula 1: Sergio Perez extends overlooked streak with first win
By Asher Fair
With his first career win, Sergio Perez has defeated Lance Stroll in the 2020 Formula 1 driver standings, extending what was already a series-high streak.
Racing Point’s Sergio Perez entered Sunday’s Sakhir Grand Prix Formula 1 race at Bahrain International Circuit in fifth place in the driver standings with 100 points, while teammate Lance Stroll entered it in 11th with 59.
Perez and Stroll were both forced to miss time earlier this year as a result of illness, with Perez missing the two races at Silverstone Circuit and Stroll missing the race at the Nurburgring.
In his 190th career start, Perez won the 87-lap race around the 11-turn, 2.202-mile (3.544-kilometer) outer layout of the Bahrain International Circuit road course in Sakhir, Bahrain to secure his first victory, netting him 25 points, while Stroll finished in third, netting him 15. There is now just one race remaining on the 2020 schedule and thus a maximum of 26 points left on the table for each driver.
As a result, Perez has clinched this year’s Racing Point points battle over Stroll.
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The 30-year-old Mexican entered the 2020 season as the only active driver on a streak of more than three seasons of beating his teammate. He hadn’t lost a teammate battle since 2014, when Nico Hulkenberg edged him by just one position when they competed at Force India, which later became Racing Point.
In 2015 and 2016, Perez beat Hulkenberg, and in 2017 and 2018, he beat Esteban Ocon. He has now beaten Stroll in 2019 and 2020, extending his teammate winning streak to six consecutive seasons.
With one race to go in the coronavirus pandemic-shortened 2020 season, Perez sits in a career-high fourth place in the driver standings with a career-high 125 points, 51 points ahead of Stroll with 74. He can finish no lower than fifth in the standings, which would still be a career-high by two positions.
The only other active teammate win streak above three seasons is that of Lewis Hamilton, who has beaten Valtteri Bottas in each of the last four seasons since the two drivers became teammates in 2017. Hamilton’s most recent defeat came in 2016, when he lost the world championship to teammate Nico Rosberg by just five points.
The only other active driver who has won at least six consecutive teammate battles at any point in his career is Sebastian Vettel, who won all six of his battles from 2008 through 2013 (2008 at Toro Rosso and 2009 through 2013 at Red Bull).
Unfortunately, Perez won’t be back with Racing Point in the 2021 season, as it has already been confirmed that Vettel is slated to leave Ferrari and take his place alongside Stroll at the rebranded Aston Martin team.
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Will Perez end up back in Formula 1 next year or beyond, or will the 2020 season prove to be his last? Only the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix remains on this year’s calendar, and that race is scheduled to take place on Sunday, December 13 at Yas Marina Circuit, with live coverage from ESPN slated to begin at 8:10 a.m. ET.