Red Bull Insider Praises Sergio Perez For Keeping Up With Max Verstappen
Red Bull advisor Helmut Marko has showered praise on Sergio Perez for his commendable performance over the past two years as Max Verstappen's teammate. Despite not being able to match Verstappen's pace, Perez played a crucial role in Red Bull's victories in 2021 and 2022.
After replacing Alex Albon in 2021, Perez secured two race wins and played a critical role in securing the Teams' Championship for Red Bull in 2022. Though Perez was unable to match Verstappen's incredible speed, he managed to survive the competition alongside the World Champion.
Speaking to German website sport.de, Marko hailed the Mexican driver's exceptional performance over the last two years, stating:
"Sergio has survived two years alongside Max without being broken like most drivers. That is a great achievement."
Marko emphasised that Perez has had to accept and acknowledge Verstappen's strengths and weaknesses, but this does not deter him from pushing himself to the limit. The Austrian highlighted that Perez has never given up, and he's always striving to improve his skills.
Looking ahead, Marko revealed that the team's primary goal for the 2023 season is to secure the first and second spots in the World Championship. While Verstappen is the team's top driver, Marko dismissed the notion that Perez will always have to give way to his teammate. He explained:
"Overall, the goal is that we want to win first and second place in the World Championship. From our point of view, it is not predetermined that that is Max."
Perez's current contract with Red Bull is set to expire at the end of this year, and Marko has not given any indication of his future with the team. When asked about Perez's future, Marko stated:
"We have to see how everything goes. Such talks and considerations usually start before or after the summer break."