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Sergio Perez's father Antonio feels like his son and Max Verstappen's fight for the 2023 F1 world championship is similar to the fierce intra-team battles between Ayrton Senna and Alain Prost.
Sergio Perez had a brilliant start to the season, winning two races and a sprint race up until now, and is only a few points behind his Red Bull teammate reigning world champion Verstappen.
As quoted by Speedweek, Antonio Perez told Por Esto that he feels his son's battle with Max Verstappen reminds him of the Senna-Prost rivalry at McLaren. Anotonio stated that both drivers are like tigers in the same cage at Red Bull, thinking alike and having the same passion to win and stay ahead in every session and lap.
He explained:
“For me, this is the new edition of Senna and Prost at McLaren. We have two tigers in the same cage. They think alike, they act alike. They try to snatch the point for the fastest lap from each other, because every point counts in this World Championship. Not only do they chase every pole position, they also want to be one step ahead in every free practice session.”
Although Antonio Perez admitted that Max Verstappen has been with Red Bull long before his son, he sounded confident about Sergio keeping up with the reigning world champion.
Antonio later dove deep into how his son has changed, especially in terms of his hunger to not just settle for points but to win races and championships.
He added:
“Max has been in the racing team longer, so it’s obvious that many people see him as the team leader. But Checo can keep up with Verstappen. It’s all about nuances in favor of Max. But on difficult circuits, the two are on an equal footing.
"My son has changed. What he says and how he behaves is different, he shows a lot more self-confidence. He used to be happy for points. It took a long time before he got a competitive car. If this chance had come earlier, Checo would already be World Champion, I’m quite sure of that. And he still has 10 years to go to win the title.”
Max Verstappen on how he got to know Sergio Perez
Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez have been teammates for three years now. Hence, both have learned a lot about each other.
In an interview with the Daily Mail, Verstappen stated what he learned about his Mexican teammate and what he likes about him the most. He said:
"I have got to know Checo (Sergio Perez) a lot better in the last few years. He drove brilliantly for the team when I won my first world title in Abu Dhabi. He was superb that day. We were rivals before, especially when I started out at Toro Rosso, and then I got to know him in a bit more personal way. What I like is that he is a family man and really cares for his friends."
Max Verstappen currently sits at the front of the F1 drivers' championship table with 119 points, while Sergio Perez is right behind him in second with 105 points.
