Sergio Perez hints at “reasons why” F1 drivers struggle alongside Max Verstappen
Sergio Perez opens up about why it's so tough to be Max Verstappen's teammate in F1.
Sergio Perez is adamant he would “stand out” more if he had another F1 teammate other than Max Verstappen while hinting at “reasons why” Red Bull is a challenge for any driver.
Like his predecessors, Perez has struggled to get on level terms with Verstappen on a regular basis.
In F1 2024, he’s yet to out-qualify or out-race the Dutchman as he sits third in the championship standings behind Leclerc.
However, to Perez’s credit, other than the last weekend at Imola, his performances have been fairly consistent.
Perez is out of contract at the end of 2024 but remains hopeful that he will remain at the team for a fifth straight campaign.
The Mexican is in prime position to keep his seat given that Daniel Ricciardo continues to underperform at RB.
Speaking during the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix weekend, Perez spoke about the challenge of being teammates with Verstappen.
“It's not fair if I'm going to speak for other drivers, but there are reasons why Red Bull doesn't work for everyone," he said. “Being Verstappen's teammate is super spicy. I'm sure I would have stood out more often if I had another teammate. However, it is a fantastic challenge. Max is the best driver, he is complete and makes few mistakes.
“It's great to have a team-mate like that, because you know you have to push to the limit and finish perfect weekends to beat him.”
Perez’s improved form in 2024 has been down to a change of approach in terms of focusing on his own setup and what he is doing.
The five-time F1 winner concedes that being “mentally strong” is one of the most important factors when you’re teammates with Verstappen
“If you keep struggling and have a teammate like Max, who delivers weekend after weekend, you end up in a vicious cycle,” Perez added
“You're constantly looking at the set-up of the car, when there's probably not that much left in it.
“You really just have to reset and stay mentally strong, because sometimes it can be very difficult. At Red Bull you just have to be mentally strong now.”
