"He hasn’t had enough of it": Sergio Perez backed to have a long F1 career

Sergio Perez has been backed to extend his F1 career by former driver-turned-analyst Pedro de la Rosa. The Spaniard believes the Mexican driver could even stay in the sport longer than his teammate Max Verstappen given Perez's long stints with midfield teams.

At 25, Max Verstappen has frequently discussed the longevity of his F1 career, indicating that he will not follow in Fernando Alonso's footsteps and continue racing into his 40s. The Dutchman's current Red Bull contract, valid until 2028, may very well be his final one, as he is interested in pursuing other racing opportunities beyond F1.

In contrast, at 33, Sergio Perez plans to remain in F1 for the next decade, according to his father. He is determined to succeed with Red Bull.

Pedro de la Rosa, a former F1 driver, suggests that this difference in outlook is due to the distinct career paths that Verstappen and Perez have had in F1. Speaking on the F1 Nation podcast, the Spaniard said:

“So I think that one very important thing is, if you start your career in Formula 1 and are on a winning team, or you are staying at an early age of your Formula 1 career in a top team, it’s easy to lose interest or motivation towards the end."

"And that could be after five years, eight years or 14. But when you have been on the tough end, you appreciate what you have. And what Checo has right now is hugely interesting. He can wake up every Sunday morning thinking if I have a good day today, I can win this one."

De la Rosa continued about Sergio Perez:

“And this is something that we’ve been fighting all our lives to be in that position. So therefore, I don’t think that Checo will be tired of it, because he hasn’t had enough of it.”

Sergio Perez backed to fight Max Verstappen in title fight

1996 F1 world champion Damon Hill believes that Sergio Perez is preparing to contend with Max Verstappen for the 2023 championship title. Perez recently won from pole position at the Jeddah Corniche Circuit, finishing ahead of his teammate Verstappen.

Although Verstappen encountered some obstacles during the race that caused him to start in the 15th position, he made an impressive comeback and secured second place.

However, Perez was unable to secure a podium spot in Melbourne, with Verstappen taking the victory from the pole position.

Currently, no other team can match the performance of the Anglo-Austrian outfit. Hill thinks that Sergio Perez comprehends the challenge ahead and will not shy away from a battle against Verstappen's abilities. He said, as quoted by Autosport:

"Checo knows what he's up against but he's not going to go down without a fight. It could be quite interesting. I think the problem that you have is that Max is a bit of a force of nature, and it's how much pressure he can put on the team to make sure his championship aspirations are not interfered with by Checo."

It will be interesting to see which of the two Red Bull drivers comes out on top at the end of the year.