“I prefer to be the minister of attack”: Sergio Perez wishes to be known for more than his defense

Tanish Chachra | 17/12/2022
"I prefer to be the minister of attack": Sergio Perez wishes to be known for more than his defense

Sergio Perez in 2021 earned the title of the Minister of defence after successfully blocking Lewis Hamilton to gain against the former’s teammate to advance in the championship.

Even in the season’s final race, deciding that championship, Perez held Hamilton and allowed Max Verstappen to gain against the Briton by reducing the gigantic gap.

That moment played a crucial role in Verstappen winning his first championship. However, Perez mentions that he is more than his defence, but it’s hardly highlighted.

Also read: Christian Horner calls Max Verstappen – Sergio Perez ‘less stressful’ than his previous championship winning duo

Sergio Perez wishes for the minister of attack tag

While Perez is honoured to have his minister of defence tag, he wishes to have the opposite and wants to be known as the minister of attack. He also discusses what’s his approach whenever he vies with his opponent.

“I prefer to be the minister of attack,” Perez laughed in an interview with his employer’s official channels. “I really think I drive fairly. Of course, I’m aggressive in the race, but I never just throw the door without pardon.”

He further adds that he considers himself safe for the other driver while weel-to-wheel racing. However, he states that there are only a few drivers on the grid for whom he can say that.

What lies ahead for the Mexican race driver

Perez holds a contract with Red Bull till 2024. His reliable performances and outputs have propelled the Milton-Keynes-based team to settle with him for their championship interests.

However, the Mexican race driver has been playing the second-fiddle role. For the first time in his career, he has the fastest car on the grid and is likely to have the same in 2023.

So, title ambitions are natural to be in his mind. However, the only hiccup to his dream is Max Verstappen, the number one priority to Red Bull and generally at the receiving end of better strategies and upgraded equipment.

Thus, it’s unlikely he’ll be pushed above in the pecking order for the title. In such cases, either the driver has to accept his fate or cause tension in the team, which often leads to the axing of the inferior driver. That’s what Verstappen said in a recent interview.

Also read: $60,000 Honda Civic belonging to Max Verstappen goes up for sale again

Post Edited By: Tanish Chachra
Max Verstappen Red Bull Sergio Perez

About the author

Tanish Chachra

Tanish Chachra is the Motorsport editor at The SportsRush. He saw his first race when F1 visited India in 2011, and since then, his romance with the sport has been seasonal until he took up this role in 2020. Reigniting F1's coverage on this site, Tanish has fallen in love with the sport all over again. He loves Kimi Raikkonen and sees a future world champion in Oscar Piastri. Away from us, he loves to snuggle inside his books.

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