Last year in Sao Paolo, tension erupted in the Red Bull camp because of Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez. Despite Perez being in a P2 battle with Charles Leclerc, Verstappen did not swap positions with him. Perez then accused the Dutchman of not being a team player. The tension, however, seemed to be exaggerated at times. Things are reportedly fine with them now.
This apparent collaboration, though, is expected to come to an end if Perez fails to secure the P2 this year. Nevertheless, amidst this uphill battle for Perez, his father Antonio Perez Garibay remains optimistic. According to him, his son’s relationship with Verstappen will extend up to ten years. He also insisted that the Guadalajara-born driver will also win a world championship in that time.
Perez told ORF, ” Checo will certainly be in the same team with Max for another ten years. And in those ten years, Checo might win a World Cup [Championship].”
Later, he stated that he enjoys the fact that Checo is battling against the world’s top driver. He said, “I like that my son is competing with the best driver in the world. And the best driver in the world right now is Max Verstappen.”
Sergio Perez’s father reacts to Helmut Markos’ recent criticism
Helmut Marko has been instrumental in defining Red Bull’s success over the years. However, throughout his F1 journey he he has stayed outspoken, and for that, he has received criticism on numerous occasions. In a recent interview with Sport and Talk from Hangar-7 Marko sparked controversy by making provocative comments about Sergio Perez’s Latin American tongue.
Nevertheless, even after hearing such comments from Marko regarding his son, Perez Sr. still holds the Austrian in high regard. According to Perez, 64, Marko has had a significant role in framing Perez’s career. During his interview, Father Perez stated that he had nothing against Marko. He said, “Dr. Marko is the best, the best, the best promoter in the whole world that Checo could have. He’s unbelievable.”
Perez’s father may be right in thanking Marko for pushing his son. This is because Marko has had an influence on not just the racers who got involved with the junior program, but also the careers of drivers such as Perez. Following Perez’s Sakhir GP triumph in 2020, both Marko and Horner contacted him about the Red Bull offer. Given that Perez was still without a contract for the upcoming season, Red Bull’s offer provided him with a lifeline.
Apart from that, Marko has frequently praised Sergio Perez for his racing style, and his few criticisms have also helped the driver push his limits. Thus with a strong performance in practice ahead of his home race, it’ll be interesting to see if Sergio Perez can continue to prove Marko’s bet on him true or not.
