After quite a lot of years of relying on the junior academy, Red Bull Racing finally decided to jump out of their bubble and got a new driver, Sergio Perez, to team-up alongside the flying Dutchman, Max Verstappen.

Considering the Mexican’s successful 2020 season with Racing Point and his successful history of teammate battles, the hopes Red Bull have devoted to him are undeniably high. However, beating his teammate might not be an effortless task for Perez this time around.

We all know Max Verstappen: Perez

Speaking to Red Bull, Perez acknowledged the fact that he is facing an enormous challenge in the form of Max Verstappen.

“It’s a big challenge for myself, you know. We all know Max; how talented, how fast, how much he has grown in the past years, how complete he is by now,” he said.

“So he’s definitely one of the best, and one of the fastest, if not the fastest out there in the current grid.”

Similar to Perez, Max, too, holds a successful record of excelling in the teammate battles. Hence, it is definitely going to be an intense face-off between the two attacking drivers in 2021.

Meanwhile, Red Bull will be hoping that this teammate battle doesn’t turn ugly, and give them more problems rather than relief.

He has been here a long time: Perez

Max Verstappen has been an essential part of the Red Bull family over the past five years. Consequently, the talented Dutchman brought in a lot of success to the team.

Hence, Perez opined that Max is holding the upper hand with a much better understanding of the team, and most importantly, the car.

“It’s a massive challenge, in a way. He has been here a long time,” he said. “But I’m looking forward to working with him and push together forward with him.”

It is likely that Red Bull will avoid any sort of teammate battles between the two drivers, considering the fear of in-team friction, and rather make sure that they let the duo charge towards the Silver Arrows.

However, who knows? Maybe Red Bull, for a change, might give Perez and Max the green flag to battle amongst themselves. And if that’s the case, who do you think will excel in this juicy teammate battle?