The Red Bull F1 team has dominated the 2023 season as they have won all 12 races so far. However, it is pertinent to note that there is a staggering difference in the level of their two drivers. Reigning world champion Max Verstappen seems to be carrying the team as he has won 10 of the 12 races. Consequently, he has opened up a massive 125-point lead over his Red Bull teammate Sergio Perez in the championship. After having accomplished the same, the Dutchman has now passed a message that is unlikely to go down well with Perez. Verstappen made these remarks soon after F1 expert Karun Chandhok pointed out how the 25-year-old has managed to “break” his previous teammates.
Chandhok pointed out how Perez is Verstappen’s fourth teammate, and that the Mexican too is seemingly succumbing too the pressure that the likes of Alex Albon, Daniil Kvyat and Pierre Gasly faced previously. With F1 experts raising repeatedly raising concerns surrounding Perez’s performance, Verstappen has opened up on why there has been such a huge difference in the level of performances between himself and the Mexican.
And it seems that Red Bull team principal Christian Horner and advisor Helmut Marko seem to agree with Verstappen’s assessment. Both Horner and Marko have pointed out how Verstappen is in a league of his own, and that the only task that Perez has on his hands for the rest of this season is to finish second in the championship. The two made these remarks when Perez admitted that he had given up on his championship dream for this season after failing to match Verstappen for the past several races.
Max Verstappen claims he’s been on another level because of his consistency
In a recent interview, Max Verstappen explained why there has been such a significant difference in his and Sergio Perez’s performances this season. As quoted by racingnews365.nl, he said, “Every weekend it’s all the little details, you know. Anyone can go hard, but go hard at the right time and stay out of trouble“.
After stating the same, he also added, “In the end, to be world champion you just have to be consistent and perform consistently. And that’s always also the pressure I put on myself to get it done as well as possible“.
When it comes to Perez, consistency has undoubtedly been a problem for Perez as he has had some strong weekends and some terrible ones. After starting the 2023 season with two wins after the first four races, the Mexican had a massive dip in performance as there was a period when he failed to reach Q3 for five consecutive races.
While he has rediscovered some of his form back in the last two races, Verstappen just seems in an entirely different league at the moment. The 25-year-old has won the last eight races in a row and is showing no signs of stopping down.
It is this reason why F1 experts such as Karun Chandhok believe that Perez is not at Verstappen’s level considering how the Dutchman has managed to break him. “The only cause of concern in the Red Bull camp is that Max has potentially broken his fourth teammate,” explained Chandhok while speaking on the most recent episode of the Sky Sports F1 podcast.
As for Verstappen, it is the same consistency that has helped him win two world championships already. And with him already having the experience of winning titles, the Dutchman has also offered Perez advice previously.
Verstappen previously suggested Perez “to focus” on himself
In another interview earlier this year, Max Verstappen stated how he does not know what has been going on in Sergio Perez’s head that has resulted in his performances dropping significantly. However, the Dutchman did have some advice for his teammate.
The 25-year-old suggested (as quoted by racingnews365.com) to the former Racing Point driver how it is important to focus on oneself rather than others to keep improving. Verstappen added that it is important to accept one’s setbacks and learn from them rather than losing focus on why things are not going in one’s way.
It is fair to say that Verstappen’s work ethic has paid off as he has already broken several records in F1 despite being just 25. After clinching a record 15 wins last season, the Dutchman is now on course to extending that record even further. He has already clinched 10 victories so far this season and just needs to win another six in the second half of the campaign to clinch a new record.
