The pay driver is gone from Formula 1, long live the pay driver 2.0!

By now, a lot has been said and written about it. The news that Sergio Perez has been offered a new contract at Red Bull Racing has been met with surprise by many. Excelling in one of the most dominant cars in the field, the Mexican is not doing so. So what makes him attractive to the Austrian team? Among other things, the huge sponsorship budget Perez brings with him and his gigantic marketing value in Mexico in particular. With that, Perez is not the only one: Formula 1 is still partly dependent on the pay driver, although no longer the pay driver of the past.