Red Bull has had a massive breakthrough this season considering their dominance. Red Bull won their 12th consecutive win becoming the first team to win 12 victories in the season after winning all the races. Their second driver Sergio Perez has won only two races of the season, while their starting driver, Max Verstappen has taken home 7 of the race wins so far and winning 7 consecutive races.
But with Verstappen, being the star driver and a two-time World Champion, Sergio Perez has a lot of pressure on him to prove himself. Not long ago, Sergio Perez’s seat had been in threat, because of an ex-Red Bull driver’s return.
Daniel Ricciardo made a comeback at Red Bull, and soon rumors were flying around about Daniel replacing Perez at Red Bull. However, the plan did not go through as Daniel replaced Nyck de Vries at AlphaTauri.
Although Helmut Marko confirmed Sergio Perez’s stay only because of his points in the Championship. But with his performance improving at the Hungarian Grand Prix, he has more pressure from his teammate. After not making it out of qualifications for some time in the races, he had his breakthrough while also winning a podium for the team. However, Max Verstappen’s dominance only increased after his 28-second gap to the runner-up winner.
Sergio Perez says it’s difficult being a teammate to Max Verstappen
Sergio Perez talked about the pressure he faces at Red Bull since his teammate is Max Verstappen. Every single session and race, he has to work hard to prove himself over and over compared to his teammate Verstappen. Adding on, he mentioned how this was the first time he has seen so much pressure in just one Formula 1 team.
Perez took the names of Ferrari, Mercedes, and Aston Martin and addressed how their drivers despite having bad days are not let go. Meanwhile, in Red Bull, one bad day can mean that the driver might have to leave and they have someone else to replace them with. Additionally, he mentioned how tough it is to be Max Verstappen’s teammate.
Sergio Perez told the Mundo Deportivo, the Spanish outlet, “90% of the drivers would sink next to Verstappen,”
“If you are not mentally strong, you can’t be at Red Bull. You should not underestimate the level of pressure you are under here.”
🗣️ | “90% of the drivers would sink next to Verstappen” — says Sergio Perez
“If you are not mentally strong, you can’t be at Red Bull. You should not underestimate the level of pressure you are under here.”
“Red Bull is a team where if you have a bad session you have five… pic.twitter.com/nsmi0qPiy6
— RBR Daily (@RBR_Daily) July 26, 2023
Perez mentioned how the likes of Alex Albon and Pierre Gasly could not manage to be second drivers to the Dutchman. Further proving his point, he mentioned how even Ricciardo had wanted to move away rather than stay at Red Bull during his first stint. Sergio Perez, although blaming Verstappen for the pressure he has on him also praised the Dutchman, by saying that only a few could beat him in equal machinery.