Rather than trying to impose their own driving styles on their cars, the No 2 drivers should let their machines do the hard work
The Dutch Grand Prix showcased the enduring brilliance of both winner Max Verstappen and runner-up Fernando Alonso in difficult conditions. It also highlighted the chasm in performance between them and their team-mates.
Sergio Perez finished in a distant fourth after taking a five-second penalty while Lance Stroll was an anonymous 11th. It is something that has been evident for most of the season. Perez is incapable of getting anywhere near to Verstappen, trailing him by 138 points and two wins to 11. Stroll does not even have one third of the points of his Aston Martin team-mate and has yet to take a podium in 2023 – Alonso now has seven.
The Red Bull and Aston Martin are both fine cars, but their second drivers are so distant to the leading men. The fundamental reasons are different and are probably more complicated for Perez than Stroll.
For Stroll, it is more down to talent and application. He lacks the tools that his team-mate has at his disposal. He has had some good results in his seven seasons in F1 but every driver on the grid is capable of that – it does not mean they are in the top bracket.