Red Bull, yet again, has come out with the most dominant car on the grid. The RB19 seems to be a second better than their nearest competitors and, in the last two races, have taken the P1-2 results comfortably.
Thus, Red Bull winning the championship is the safest prediction of this year. Meanwhile, this hegemony also raises Verstappen‘s chances to defend his title once again.
But this time, his own teammate wants to complicate things for him. Sergio Perez seeking new comfort in Red Bull, is aiming for the championship battle, and if he manages to put in a good challenge, then interesting things for fans lie ahead.
“Perez needs to do what Rosberg did.”
The Unlapped squad discuss whether Sergio Perez can compete with Max Verstappen this year ⚔️@natesaundersF1 @Edmondson_F1 @Katie_George05 @ToniCowanBrown pic.twitter.com/dcDraPCeHs
— ESPN F1 (@ESPNF1) March 25, 2023
Max Verstappen sees a threat in Sergio Perez
For around two years, Perez was comfortable playing the deputy role to Verstappen. But now he realizes that this is his last chance to ever go for the title. And that’s what Perez is doing, by asserting his claim on the title in every media interaction.
With only one point separating both drivers, Verstappen also realizes he has a threat at his home instead of seeking battles from Ferrari or Aston Martin. He finally accepts that instead of Charles Leclerc and Fernando Alonso, Perez is his biggest rival this year.
“I think [Sergio] Perez is my only rival at the moment,” he told Sky Italia. “We have the same car, so we can both do better. This might change during the season, but he’s the only one who can give me a hard time during the race.”
Equal footing for both drivers
When it comes to winning the drivers’ championship, rarely a team gives equal opportunities to both drivers. They always have a priority in mind, and that person gets an edge throughout the season.
However, when asked about the intra-team battle, Christian Horner claimed that his team’s priority is giving both drivers equal cars. Thus, claiming the duo is free to fight for the grand prize. However, how true his words are will be seen as the season progresses.
Christian Horner really said “change ya fooking lap times” pic.twitter.com/uCvbpPZcxc
— Guenther Stieners swear jar (@MissOoo1g) March 19, 2023
But the strangest thing is that Perez is echoing Horner’s words. On Thursday, during the press conference, he revealed that he feels more of a team member now and is more suited to RB19 than previous Red Bull cars. So maybe, for once, Red Bull is not siding, and they want to seek some fun out of it.
