Red Bull has often given preferential treatment to Max Verstappen over Sergio Perez. The Mexican racer has often been tasked with defending Verstappen’s lead and positioning himself to favour his teammate’s result.
Perez has often received the shorter end of the stick regarding strategy and upgrades. After moving to Red Bull in 2021, he finally found himself with a team that could compete for the title. But this all could change in 2023. The RB19’s exceptional speed has given him a chance to fight against his World Champion teammate.
Team advisor Helmut Marko confirms that the Mexican driver will not be restricted if he wishes to push Max. As long as both drivers behave and the results are in tandem with Red Bull’s season objectives to secure both championships.
Also Read: Red Bull Boss Helmut Marko Gives Scathing Verdict on Yuki Tsunoda and Nyck De Vries’ F1 Futures
Marko believes Sergio Perez is the best teammate Max Verstappen ever had
Helmut Marko has often criticised Sergio Perez for being slow and not on par with Max Verstappen. However, the Austrian has no doubt that Perez is the best teammate Max has received.
The Mexican has accumulated 15 podiums, and 3 race wins during his 2 years at Red Bull. And the Red bull chief believes maybe he can stand up for a title battle this year.
He said, “He’s certainly in very, very good shape, even physically. He hardly sweats. That means he takes it really seriously and might be a challenge for Max.”
While Max has a reputation for ending his teammate’s careers, Checo has been quite competitive. And the same time, he is cooperative and understands the team’s goals over his.
Marko complimented the Mexican race driver, saying, “Sergio survived two years alongside Max without being broken like most others. That’s a great achievement. However, his teammate has no weaknesses.”
But stepping in the rig against Max is not an easy task. Checo would know that, too and vivid memories from the 2022 Brazilian GP.
Also Read: Ex-McLaren Employee Draws Parallels Between Ayrton Senna and Max Verstappen
Perez has to win or come 2nd, underlines Marko
Sergio Perez knows pushing Max Verstappen too hard is like walking on a tightrope. The teammates have had good relations with each other, but there have been a few flare-ups between the duo, like the 2022 Brazilian GP.
The Mexican racer was chasing P2 on the standing, which would have been sealed had Max let Checo through. Helmut Marko confirms that there won’t be any restrictions on the driver this year as long as the team achieve their goals.
Marko clarified, “Overall, our goal is that we want to win first and second place in the world championship. We don’t specify that first place is for Max.”
Perez’s contract situation is also unclear. His current deal allows him to stay with Red Bull until the end of the 2024 season. But there have not been any developments over an extension.
However, Marko believes the team have everything in place. And any negotiations will take place around the F1 Summer break. There is speculation that the team would replace him with Daniel Ricciardo if his performances aren’t satisfactory.
