“It shows who he really is,” said Sergio Perez after his teammate couldn’t return a simple favor. When Sergio Perez came to Red Bull in 2021, he was asked to do one thing—help Max Verstappen win the championship. Throughout that season, the Mexican bent over backward for Verstappen. He established himself as the Mexican Defence Minister with all the times he put up amazing fights to keep cars behind. He picked up the scraps when Verstappen couldn’t and did what he had to do. But Verstappen just couldn’t do the same.

Last season, Sergio Perez was up against Charles Leclerc for P2 in the championship. At the Brazilian GP—after Verstappen had already sealed the Drivers’ Championship—Red Bull asked the reigning champion to let Perez pass him to maintain his lead over Leclerc. Verstappen didn’t comply, and Perez was left hanging. Ultimately, Leclerc pipped Perez to P2 in the fight in Abu Dhabi. This season, though, could be different.

Max Verstappen can redeem himself for his 2022 Brazil crimes

In the race’s final stages—Verstappen in P6, Perez in P7, and Leclerc in P4—Max’s engineer instructed him, “Max, let Checo [Perez] through.” Verstappen’s response? Radio silence. After crossing the line, he said, “I told you last summer. You don’t ask that to me again. I gave you my reasons, and I stand by them.” His actions invariably hurt Perez, and the Mexican wasn’t happy. This season, yet again, Perez is fighting to hold on to P2. Considering he’s in the fastest car on the grid, it shouldn’t really have been a fight, but it is what it is. Fighting against Lewis Hamilton, the question is: will Verstappen make amends?

Finishing P2 in the championship is a big deal, at least for drivers other than Verstappen right now. For Perez, though, it could be make or break for his Red Bull career. While discussing this on the F1 Nation Podcast, former driver Pedro de la Rosa said, “Perez doesn’t want to finish second because Max helped him. He wants to finish second because he deserves to finish second, and he’s capable of getting the points to finish second.”

Be that as it may, he won’t mind getting Verstappen’s help. De la Rosa said, “Sometimes, you speak with your teammate and say, ‘Look, Max, it means a lot to me. I’ve been fighting for this. It’s my dream. Okay, it’s not as big as being World Champion, but it’s still second, and it’s always very nice for my CV or for my stories to my grandchildren to be able to explain that I finished second in the Formula 1 World Championship.’” If push comes to shove and Perez does ask Verstappen, de la Rosa feels, “Then it’s fine. I’m pretty sure Max will help.” 

Read More: “Cars Are the Same”: Sergio Perez Gets No Sympathy From Max Verstappen as Embarrassment Continues

While Perez will pin his hopes on Verstappen’s help, Red Bull has pinned its hopes for a new achievement on the Mexican.

Sergio Perez can help Red Bull unlock a new achievement

Hamilton is within touching distance of Perez. Just 33 points separate the Mercedes from the Red Bull. Considering how Perez started his season, it didn’t look like he’d face any competition for P2 in the championship, least of all from a Mercedes. But as Mercedes started gaining momentum, Perez started losing his. Although Perez’s seat at Red Bull is safe for 2024 (at least as safe as it can be), there is something riding on this P2 finish. He knows it, and Christian Horner knows it.  

In a recent interview, Horner revealed he has complete faith in Perez achieving that P2. He said, “We’ve never finished 1st and 2nd with any of our drivers in the championship, so it would be a big thing for us to achieve. [Perez] came close last year. It would be his best-ever result. And he’s got the best car that he’s ever had to be able to try and achieve that result. I’m sure there are enough races with the six Grands Prix remaining for him to achieve some great results.” 

Watch This Story: Will Daniel Ricciardo Get Swapped in for Sergio Perez at Red Bull?

Do you think Sergio Perez can hold off Lewis Hamilton and give Red Bull its first 1-2 title finish? Will Max Verstappen help him achieve it?