• Max Verstappen’s partner produced a memorable performance in Monaco

Red Bull yesterday announced they have rewarded Sergio Perez with a fresh two-year deal until 2024, saying the decision to hold on to the most successful Mexican driver in Formula One history was “a no brainer”.
Max Verstappen’s teammate signed his new contract at Monaco at the weekend to give him double cause for celebration after he emerged from all the chaos caused by a pre-race deluge to win the iconic Grand Prix.
“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,” team boss Christian Horner said.
Perez, 32, moved to within 15 points of world champion Verstappen and only nine behind Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc in the drivers’ standings after rising above all the mayhem on Sunday, that fine win coming after three second-place finishes.
Perez said: “For me, this has been an incredible week, winning the Monaco Grand Prix is a dream for any driver and then to follow that with announcing I will continue with the team until 2024 just makes me extremely happy.”
He joined Red Bull last season, claiming a win on another street circuit in Azerbaijan with four further podiums to finish fourth behind his Dutch colleague.
In his statement Horner noted the popular Perez had done a “fantastic” job and stepped up a gear in his second year with the team.  “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 remarked.
“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.”
This is not the first time Perez has had reason to be happy on two fronts after a Grand Prix win. At the back end of the 2020 season, with his seat at Racing Point already assigned to Sebastian Vettel, he ended the invidious record of 190 starts without a race win in Bahrain at the Sakhir Grand Prix.
Shortly after this milestone moment he was putting pen to paper on his first Red Bull contract to put a far rosier complexion on a week where his future in F1 had looked bleak with his Racing Point contract ending in Abu Dhabi the following Sunday. Born in Guadalajara he was a member of the Ferrari driver academy until 2012, making his F1 debut for Sauber the year before.  He would go on to drive for McLaren, Force India, and remained with them after the team went bankrupt as Racing Point.
As well as the longest streak without a win, he also holds another record not to tell the grandchildren about - he competed in 215 Grand Prix without taking pole position, only snapping that sequence in Saudi Arabia in March. Last weekend meanwhile in the Perez household it was definitely party-time as on top of getting his hands on the race regarded as the crown jewel in the F1 calendar and a new contract, he also overtook Pedro Rodriguez as the most successful Mexican driver in history.
Horner is convinced that in Perez and Verstappen he has a driver pairing that can mine “the biggest prizes in F1”. Perez agreed, believing his strong relationship with Verstappen “on and off the track” is helping to drive Red Bull forward to greater success. “We have built tremendous momentum as a team and this season is showing that, I am excited to see where that can take us all in the future,” he said.

Alonso still feeling effects of Australia crash
Twice Formula One world champion Fernando Alonso said he was still feeling the effects of a qualifying crash in Australia last month and expected to suffer for months to come. The Alpine driver had bandages on both wrists after Sunday’s Monaco Grand Prix and told reporters they were a consequence of his Melbourne accident.
“It’s still from Australia,” he said, referring to a crash into the wall at Albert Park. “Bones, ligaments, tendons, everything is a mess at the moment.
“I need two or three months and there is no surgery, nothing you can do. Just rest. Unfortunately, every two weeks I have to drive so I try to rest at home but it will take a few months,” added the 40-year-old. Formula One has six more races scheduled, divided into pairs of double-headers, before the August break. When it was jokingly suggested that Alonso could hand his car to the Renault-owned team’s Australian reserve driver Oscar Piastri, the Spaniard replied: “Yes, but we need the points.”
Alpine are sixth in the constructors’ championship but only a point behind Alfa Romeo and 19 adrift of McLaren after seven races with the top three - Red Bull, Ferrari and Mercedes - way ahead.
Alonso finished seventh in Monaco, ahead of Mercedes’ seven times world champion Lewis Hamilton who was unable to find a way past on the narrow street circuit despite having a faster car and the Spaniard lapping well off the pace.
Alonso said his strategy in the final stint had been to manage the tyres for 15 laps before then pushing for the remaining 15 to the finish. “It was Hamilton’s problem,” he said. “This is Monaco and I love to keep people behind.”