Sergio Perez has been playing the supporting role of Max Verstappen ever since he joined Red Bull in 2021. It was that year when Red Bull ousted Mercedes as the dominant team on the grid. Verstappen won his first driver’s world championship. Since then, Red Bull has been enjoying an indestructible hegemony on the grid. The last season saw Max dominate the grid, winning 15 out of 22 Grands Prix. But is it fair to say the credit goes to only the driver and not to the other driver or the rest of the team?
Perhaps not, as Checo did his best to make sure the two Red Bull drivers secured as many podium finishes as they could. Last season only Charles Leclerc came between the two drivers of the Austrian team. Otherwise, it was Red Bull all the way in 2022. The dominance of Red Bull is because of their spectacular car. Even in 2023, the RB19 is the fastest car on the grid.
Checo Explains How It Feels To Work With Max!
The Dutchman has won two races of the first three Grands Prix this year. But as things stand, Checo is gearing up to challenge the Dutchman because he wants to be the world champion as well. In a recent interview, Sergio Perez mentioned, “We have mutual respect for each other, me and Max. But if I want to win the championship, then I will have to be consistent enough because Verstappen is the hardest driver to beat at present.” Checo denied any claims of disrespect and ugly fights between him and Max Verstappen. However, he will not let the Dutchman get away with the title so easily this time. He wants to prove that he can win the driver’s championship.
But Sergio Perez is aware of the fact that winning 15 races is not enough if a driver ends with several DNFs in the rest of the Grands Prix. Checo will need to prove his worth at every qualification round and, of course, in the final round. Moreover, the car is the best at present, so all Checo needs to do is maintain consistency. The Mexican did not have a great outing in Australia, as he had a DNF in the qualifying round. Eventually, Checo finished at P5 in Melbourne.
Red Bull Vs. Red Bull – Max Verstappen Vs. Sergio Perez
No other team has got a car that is even close to the speed of the Austrian team’s car. It looks like the Dutchman should get a free pass yet again to win the world championship thrice in a row. However, Mexican might have other ideas. Sergio Perez won the Grand Prix in Jeddah.
Max Verstappen was very upset about coming second to Checo. But Max did win an extra point in Jeddah for securing the fastest lap. Now, after the P1 finish at the Australian Grand Prix, it is Max Verstappen with a healthy 15 points lead over his teammate Sergio Perez.
