Former driver John Watson believes Sergio Perez’s inexperience is hurting McLaren, when compared to the other top teams line-ups.
The Mexican driver impressed during his second season with Sauber which saw him score three podium finishes. However he only has two points against his name from two races in 2013.
Whilst his team-mate Jenson Button – the most experieneced driver on the grid – also has just two points, Watson questioned Perez’s ability to help develop the car.
“Red Bull have two drivers of a high level of experience, as do Ferrari and Mercedes,” he told the BBC. “McLaren look like they’ve got one and a half drivers.
“He [Perez] had some great races last year but I’m not yet clear as to what level of information or value he brings the team.
“Give Perez a really good car and he might shine but to me the ultimate driver is one who can drag performance out of an underperforming car. The jury is still out as to whether Perez has the potential to do that.”
He is however certain the Woking-based outfit can rediscover their front-running form in the coming races.
“I think they have the infrastructure and people there to correct the problem – but first they’ve got to find where the problem actually lies and I don’t know if they even know,” he added.
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