Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez’s rivalry has recently been compared with the iconic Ayrton Senna and Alain Prost rivalry. The Mexican driver’s father Antonio Perez Garibay compared the duo with the McLaren greats.
This has come after Verstappen and Perez involved themselves in the title fight for the 2023 F1 season. As per a recently published report by SportsMole, Garibay said, “You have to remember when McLaren had Senna and Prost. This is the same. Today we are living it again.”
McLaren Honda teammates Alain Prost and Ayrton Senna on their way to 1st and 2nd at Monaco. #F1 1989 #MonacoGP via @McLarenF1 pic.twitter.com/8rYBFmDF48
— Zdravko (@zdravkost) May 7, 2023
Perez Sr. further stated on the Red Bull duo that they are two tigers in the same cage. He also added that the duo thinks the same, have the same breakfast, and are at par with each other.
Admittedly, the Senna and Prost era in McLaren gave the F1 world one of its best rivalry to date. They were teammates back in the 1988 and 1989 seasons at the British team.
Why Verstappen and Perez were compared to Senna and Prost?
As teammates in the two said seasons, Prost and Senna picked up 25 wins out of all 32 races. In those two seasons, the Brazilian driver had 14 wins and 26 pole positions, whereas the Frenchman had 11 wins and four pole positions.
This is quite similar to what the Dutchman and the Mexican did in Red Bull in the 2022 F1 season. The duo picked up 17 wins out of the total 22 races, with the two-time world champion picking up 15 of them, while his teammate won two races.
How many wins so far this season, Bulls? ✋
📸 || @vladimirrys pic.twitter.com/TKLvwV5mSI
— Oracle Red Bull Racing (@redbullracing) May 9, 2023
The incredible run of victories and domination continued even in 2023 as well. In this season, the Red Bull duo picked up all five wins and finished four races as 1-2. Out of five, Max Verstappen has three wins, and Sergio Perez has two. Hence, the comparison by Antonio Perez Garibay.
Perez’s Sr. reveals the changes in his son
Perez Sr. has unraveled the changes he saw in his son in recent times. Speaking about it, Garibay said, “Today I see a different Checo Perez – the way he talks, walks, and looks is different.”
The F1 driver’s attitude and mentality have changed in 2023. With two years down in the team, he is now a different person and wants to go for more, which means challenging the defending champion Verstappen for the title, believes Perez Sr.
Admittedly, Checo Perez revealed his championship aim earlier this season. In multiple interviews, the Mexican driver stated that he wants to be a world champion and would not return to his home country Mexico without lifting the trophy.
