In a Bid to Defeat Max Verstappen in 2023, Sergio Perez Provides Key Tweaks in RB19 Development

Tejas Venkatesh | 10/02/2023
In a Bid to Defeat Max Verstappen in 2023, Sergio Perez Provides Key Input in RB19 Development

Max Verstappen was joined by Sergio Perez and Daniel Ricciardo for Red Bull’s 2023 Car Launch in New York. Red Bull unveiled their 2023 car, the RB19 along with an exciting collaboration with Ford from 2026.

Max will be hoping to replicate his previous year’s phenomenal form to claim his 3rd Drivers Championship win. But the driver that will be working the hardest to prevent this will be Perez.

Perez enjoyed his best season in F1 but fell shy of P2 by a few points. But knowing the pace the Red Bull can provide, the Mexican knows he can beat Verstappen if he gets the opportunity.

 

The Mexican will start afresh in 2023. And this time, he has given his say in the RB19’s development to further increase his chances.

Also Read: “Max Verstappen Has Matured”– Daniel Ricciardo Rates His 2xChampion Teammate Upon Red Bull Reunion

Sergio Perez to Challenge Verstappen for 2023 title

Sergio Perez started the season close to Max Verstappen. But as the season progressed Perez was nowhere close to his teammate who claimed wins after wins.

While Verstappen swept the title away by claiming 15 victories and 17 podiums, Perez could only grab 2 wins and 11 podium finishes. The Mexican lacked consistency in claiming results but is optimistic about the next season.

Perez claimed to have had a say ahead of the RB19’s development and has demanded direction from the team. He said, “I’ve been pushing the team in a certain direction, and we believe we’re heading in that direction.”

 

He added, “But we’ll see. Once we get the car, it’s all about adapting ourselves to the car and trying to maximise it.”

Also Read: “Why Do We Need To Change It”: Max Verstappen Heaps Praises for Red Bull Livery Amidst Criticism by Fans

Why Perez was unable to close Verstappen

Sergio Perez lost P2 to Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc by 3 points. With that, he missed the chance to deliver Red Bull’s first 1-2 finish in the season standings. But he has since moved on to the next season’s challenge.

Perez admits to having learnt from some of his struggles in 2022. He also says he considered the feedback from his mechanics to better understand his desired car setup.

Perez reflected, “Learning from the mistakes we did, I think sometimes we took the wrong direction with the set-up and that’s very important for us to understand.”

 

While Perez enjoyed a good track record in street races, his performance did not match the sheer pace the RB18 provided.

He added, “I think we figured out towards the end of the season what we were doing with the car, so that’s been crucial for us. And I think we are heading in the right direction with it.”

Max and Perez had some flare-ups between them during the Brazilian GP. The Dutchman refused to let his teammate through to finish with more points to boost his P2 chances.

In the aftermath, Perez unleashed some scathing remarks on Max, but the issue was resolved between the duo. But if Perez and Max were to resume a closer battle in 2023, drama is all that can be expected!

Also Read: Christian Horner Claims Over a Season Sergio Perez Can’t Consistently Challenge Max Verstappen for the Championship

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

About the author

Tejas Venkatesh

Tejas Venkatesh is a Motorsports writer at The SportsRush. He started watching F1 in 2007 and fell in love with the sound of the revving V8s. A technical nerd, tejas loves to nerd over the technical beauty only motorsports can achieve. He calls himself a Vettel fanboy and spent the night crying after Hockenheim 2018. Apart from F1, Tejas is an avid Chelsea Fan and loves football.

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