Red Bull chief Helmut Marko claims that Sergio Perez was a much better deputy to Max Verstappen than Valtteri Bottas to Lewis Hamilton.
Sergio Perez got seemed to be the reliable option for Red Bull after the end of the 2020 season, as the Milton-Keynes-based team needed a solid second seat driver, after facing disappointments from Pierre Gasly and Alex Albon.
The Mexican International played a pivotal role in his teammate’s pursuit for the championship in 2021. Thus, Red Bul seems to be satisfied with Perez’s services and has extended his contract for 2022.
On the other hand, Valtteri Bottas has left Mercedes this year, but for the last five seasons, he was seen as an ideal teammate for Lewis Hamilton. The Finnish race driver hardly let his interests clash with Hamilton.
Such influence helped Hamilton to win four straight championships between 2017-2021. Such harmony in top teams is rare. Yet Red Bull chief Helmut Marko thinks Perez was a better deputy to Verstappen than Bottas was to Hamilton.
“It’s clear to us that there is currently no driver who can stand up to Verstappen in qualifying,” Marko told AutoRevue. “But then you need someone who won’t break – that has happened with Perez.”
“If you start ninth or 11th, all the qualities he undoubtedly has in the race won’t help you,” Marko said. “He’s driven at the same level as Verstappen in x number of races, [but] it just fizzles out by the time you’re through [the field].”
Sergio Perez is supreme
Marko further claims that Perez is an overall better driver than Bottas. He concedes that the Finnish race driver is super-fast, but can’t climb the traffic.
Some more pictures of @SChecoPerez from 2021. pic.twitter.com/gfq9hfQXBi
— Motorsport Images (@MSI_Images) January 25, 2022
“That’s the big difference between him and Bottas, who is a loser when it comes to overtaking,” Marko bluntly said. “He’s super-fast, but he can’t overtake in traffic.”
Also read: Valtteri Bottas says he received a special gift from Mercedes as gesture but has no space to keep it
