Coulthard defends Perez criticism amid 'usual vitriol' backlash
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d David Coulthard, never one to shy away from expressing his opinions, found himself in the crosshairs of Sergio Perez's passionate fanbase after commenting on the Mexican driver's future with Red Bull at the end of last season.
With Perez ultimately being replaced by Liam Lawson for the upcoming season after negotiations with Red Bull following a less-than-stellar 2024, Coulthard's pre-confirmation analysis clearly ruffled some feathers south of the Rio Grande.
Before Perez's departure was officially announced, Coulthard, speaking on the Formula For Success podcast, offered his perspective on the situation.
"Checo is a very good human being, but it's painful to watch the resistance to the facts, and I can only assume it's a management play," he stated.
He then added, with a touch of dry wit: "Julian Jakobi is his manager — Julian we know and respect for many years; [he's an] intelligent, good manager. But his job is to make sure the money is there.
"So I can only imagine it's about trying to negotiate the biggest payoff possible to get him to go of his own accord, rather than basically say, 'Okay, we're paying you whatever we'd agreed to pay you for next year, but we're not giving you a race car.'
"Which could happen, but it would be such a shame."
The Fan Fallout
Coulthard's speculation about the negotiations didn't sit well with Perez's fans.
On the most recent episode of his FFS podcast, Coulthard addressed the backlash directly.
"I voiced an opinion on this very show ahead of the end of the season," he began. "And I just felt it was a standoff between himself and his management."
"I took some heat from Mexico, all sorts of the usual vitriol, 'What would you know? What have you ever achieved?' and all that good stuff."
However, the 13-time Grand Prix winner stood firm on his assessment, emphasizing that his opinions were based on observable facts.
"But the fact is, I was merely basing an opinion on the facts," he explained.
"The facts are Checo, if it was a personality contest and one of the most liked drivers in the paddock contest, would still be in the seat. He's a brilliant man."
No Match for Max
He went on to acknowledge Perez's accomplishments, but also pointed to his performance relative to his teammate.
"He has done a great job, and he has won lots of Grand Prix, and he can be incredibly proud of his performance," he added.
"But, last season, he didn't match Max and it cost the team valuable points in the Constructors' Championship.
"So an agreement has been found where he will still be involved with the brand in some way, but clearly not behind the steering wheel of the Red Bull Racing car."
In short, Coulthard's analysis, while perhaps unwelcome by some, was ultimately proven correct.
And while he may have endured some online "vitriol," he handled it with the seasoned composure of a former F1 driver, reminding everyone that his opinions, however controversial, were rooted in observation and fact.
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