“We pushed to the maximum today”: Sergio Perez enjoyed his fight for victory against Max Verstappen at 2023 F1 Azerbaijan GP

Sergio Perez won the 2023 Azerbaijan GP, managing to pip his championship rival and teammate Max Verstappen. The Mexican stormed his way to victory whilst holding off the charging Dutchman, showcasing his prowess on street circuits.

Perez has successfully broken Baku's curse and is the first repeat winner at Baku's street circuit. The Red Bull driver also took the first sprint race win of his career on Saturday before dominating Sunday's main race despite having started in P3.

The Mexican driver is now only six points behind current championship leader Verstappen, who finished in second place in Baku and will be trying his best to secure a third consecutive title in the sport this year.

However, to Checo's benefit, the sport heads to Miami next weekend for yet another street race, giving the Mexican the presumed advantage over his teammate.

Speaking about his race to Damon Hill in Parc Ferme, Sergio Perez said:

"Yeah it really worked out today for us. We managed to stay in the DRS train and we managed to keep the pressure on Max. I think we had a better deg on that first stint. It was looking good already from the start. Then the safety car came and bunched everyone up so it was again another race on the hard tyres."

Sergio Perez continued about his battle with Max Verstappen:

"I think it was pretty close between us. We pushed to the maximum today. We both hit the walls a few times and we were pushing out there".

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Sergio Perez backed to have a long F1 career

Former F1 driver-turned-analyst Pedro de la Rosa has expressed confidence in Sergio Perez's ability to prolong his F1 career, citing the Mexican driver's extensive experience with midfield teams. De la Rosa even believes that Perez could outlast his teammate Max Verstappen in the sport.

Max Verstappen, currently 25 years old, has been vocal about his intention to not follow in Fernando Alonso's footsteps and race into his 40s. Although he has a contract with Red Bull until 2028, he has shown interest in exploring other racing opportunities beyond F1.

In contrast, Perez, who is 33, plans to continue racing in F1 for the next decade as per his father. He is determined to succeed with Red Bull.

De la Rosa attributes this difference in perspective to the divergent career paths that Verstappen and Perez have taken 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."

Now, with Sergio Perez only six points behind Max Verstappen in the drivers' standings, it will be interesting to follow the Mexican's progress.