“Sergio Has to Get Max Verstappen Out of His Head”: Helmut Marko Drops Career Advise to Perez Amidst ‘Unrealistic Aspirations’

Sergio Perez joined Red Bull right at the cusp of the time they started producing championship-winning cars. Much to his disappointment, the Mexican hasn’t managed to win a title for himself. In this same duration, his teammate, Max Verstappen, has registered three consecutive titles to his name. Meanwhile, Perez has seen his form take a nosedive with the worst of it coming in 2023. Now Red Bull’s advisor Helmut Marko has issued a piece of advice to help him come out of the slump.

In a recent interview, as quoted by Auto Motor und Sport, Marko said, “Perez has to get Max out of his head and run his own program.” Until the start of the 2023 season, Perez happily played second fiddle to Verstappen.

However, the Dutchman’s refusal to help him at the 2022 Brazilian GP developed an animosity between the two. Since then, Perez openly talked about his keenness to challenge Verstappen for the championship last year.

To begin with, the mentality worked wonders as he managed to register two wins after the first four races in 2023. However, it did not go down well with Verstappen, who came back strongly.

While Verstappen lay down the marker, Perez kept mounting pressure on himself to match the Dutchman’s level. This only made matters worse for the Mexican as the resultant mistakes cost him dearly in points.

As the 34-year-old hit rock bottom, his place in the team came under heavy scrutiny. Red Bull, which is known for its impatience with its drivers, surprisingly decided to back Perez. The confidence has continued into 2024, which also happens to be the last year on Perez’s contract.

Sergio Perez just might save his Red Bull seat once againfdsd

Despite the poor run of form, Sergio Perez gave Red Bull the kind of season that it had never seen before. Courtesy of his finishing second in the standings, the Austrian team, for the first time in its 19 years in F1, finished the season with both championships and a one-two in the drivers’ standings.

While that may have saved Perez’s seat in 2023, the same cannot be guaranteed for 2024. With drivers like Daniel Ricciardo and Yuki Tsunoda lurking to grab onto the Red Bull seat, Perez will have to prove his worth from the very first race in Bahrain.

While that does not necessarily mean beating Verstappen to the championship, it will certainly require a better tally in points. In 2023, despite finishing 2nd, Perez failed to gather even half of the number of points Verstappen had. A consistent run in top-5 finishes could help Perez not only retain the second place but perhaps also earn an extension.

But is it really possible to go down the path Marko suggests? It is certainly difficult for F1 drivers not to compare themselves with their teammates. Hence, it will be interesting to see if Perez can achieve that and also deliver good performances consistently.