Sergio Perez, who won the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, needs just two more points to lead the driver’s championship of the 2023 F1 season. This need came up as his teammate Max Verstappen secured bonus points by completing the fastest lap in the last race. Max, who completed the Jeddah circuit second on the podium, is leading with 44 points, while Sergio is in the second position with 43 points. But Checo is content because, now, rather than points, he is getting the same respect at Red Bull. “This is something good to have as a driver,” he said.
Sergio Perez Now A “Priority” For Red Bull
Every driver comes to Formula One with just one dream: to become a world champion. And when they puts everything he got, complete dedication, focus, and loyalty, into the sport, they just deserve to win. Challenges come to prevent the driver from winning on the track when the rivals get stronger and when their car gets weaker. But sometimes, something unexpected occurs. Instead of the rivals, their own team obstructs him from fulfilling the one dream he came up with. For the Mexican driver Sergio Perez, the most challenging thing [that may discourage him from winning the F1 world championship] is to become a priority in his own team, Red Bull.
Apparently, Red Bull’s preferred driver is Max Verstappen. They make strategies and car according to his comfort. On top of that, for two times now, fans saw the Dutchman denying the team’s order which came in Checo’s favor. During the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix a week ago, Verstappen, who started the race from P15, was told not to increase the speed of the car as Serio Perez, who was leading the track, deserved to do the fastest lap. But Max refused to follow the team’s order. He continued with 32s and ended the race with a historical move, from P15 to P2 with the fastest lap! But was this heroic?
Perez Finally Felt The Same Opportunity As Max To Win The Championship
Neither Checo nor his fans were happy to see this betrayal. As a result, Perez spoke to the media after the race and said, “The team told me to have to fastest lap to the speed at a certain unit.” And as usual, the same communication should have been done with Max Verstappen, too, the Mexican thought while racing. He even demanded an internal investigation for the team.
Although later, Checo found that team Red Bull informed Max about the same thing. But he denied the team’s order. Max, too came to justify his action. He said he could not find much difference in his car’s pace when he did the fastest lap. So things are good between them. “We spoke about it, and this is the same line we are all in. It is something we learn things from,” Checo said.
Speaking to the media, Sergio Perez further explained that at one point, he thought he was being played. But he got different information from Max. And looking back, realizing that both were given the same information, the Mexican said, “it was played very well by Red Bull.”
Although Perez was prioritized by team Red Bull this time. That is why the Mexican Red Bull driver revealed that “I really feel like I am well respected here.” A driver wants no complications within the team, and Sergio is somehow getting what he wants, “every single opportunity to win the championship, same as Max Verstappen,” he said. RB19 is a very strong car, and the Red Bull package is very strong, too. Checo has won one race, and no doubt he can win this year’s championship too.