“He’s Max by name, and Max by nature.” – This is how the F1 website describes Max Verstappen. And rightly so. His terror (in a good way) on the racetrack is such that his teammates crumble like weak biscuits. And as they crumble, their management, like an automatic machine, replaces the crumbled biscuit with a fresh, new one. In this analogy, Sergio Perez can fit as the latest crumbling biscuit who might get replaced if his dismal run continues. But to avoid taking the blame, he has shifted the spotlight onto Mercedes and Ferrari’s operations.

While Verstappen continues to race as if he’s playing F1’23 on easy mode, Perez is playing at the Legend difficult level. But he has the fastest car. So shouldn’t it be easy? The 2nd seat at Red Bull is as difficult to hold on to as it is coveted. And 11 races into the season, Perez is already 110 points behind his teammate. But instead of owning up to his inconsistency, he has spoken about how Mercedes and Ferrari have bad moments, but the drivers aren’t put under such high pressure.

Speaking to the Spanish website Mundo Deportivo, Perez said, “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. Red Bull is a team where if you have a bad session you have five drivers in your sights. It’s constant pressure from the press.” [translated via Google]

He elaborated, saying, “In these three years I have never seen this in any other team before. With Ferrari, Aston Martin, Mercedes, you name the team, all their drivers have had difficult moments, but nothing happens. It’s not like Red Bull, you have a bad time, and you have to leave the team.”

“Perez Will Not Be in Red Bull Next Year”: End of the Road Beckons for Sergio as Max Verstappen Continues to Expose Elite Errors

Comparing one team to other legendary rivals will not do him any good. And from him, such statements feel ironic because 3 days ago, he was full of praise for his team and their performance in Hungary.

Sergio Perez Praises Red Bull’s Strategy After Much-Needed Podium At the Hungarian GP

After crashing out in FP1 with a “rookie error”, Sergio Perez needed something magical to change his image in the eyes of the team and the fans. So, his 1st Q3 appearance after 5 races of not being in that place helped him take a step forward. And owing to a good race by him and strategy by the team, he stood P3 on the podium on Sunday.

“It was a tough race, very hot out there, very demanding physically,” said Perez, post-race. “Also mentally, looking after the tires, especially with the strategy that we were on – that hard compound was quite tricky, but we managed to do it well.”

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The Mexican racer needs to pull up his socks and try to match Verstappen’s pace at the upcoming Belgian GP. If he does so, he can go into the Summer break with a more peaceful and relaxed mind.

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