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Sergio Perez believes that his relationship with Max Verstappen has improved and has been better than in previous seasons. Speaking to Sportskeeda prior to the 2023 Abu Dhabi GP, the Mexican opened up on the improved dynamic with the Dutchman.
In 2022, the duo had their set of awkward moments in Monaco where Perez spun ahead of the tunnel in qualifying, raising eyebrows. The suspicious spin that brought out the red flags had compromised the Dutchman’s quick lap and left the Mexican in a good position to clinch a win.
The favour was returned in Brazil where the reigning champion refused to aide his teammate in the fight for second place with Charles Leclerc. This resulted in the team talking both down by Abu Dhabi.
Asked by Sportskeeda about the relationship within the team with Verstappen now, Sergio Perez said:
“Yeah, I think it's been a good year. I think our relationship, it's really good. I think the whole engineering, you know, when we are in all those briefings through so many races, I think it's been, it's been good. And we’ve been pushing at times in different directions. But at the same time, we've been strongly asking for same, same stuff. So that also has been positive for the team.”
Asked if it had been better compared to 2022, the Mexican racing driver replied:
“I think it's been better. Well, I think it's been always, always good. You know, this is our third season together. So, it's been a good one."
Asked if there were any takeaways from his teammate’s performance that helped him learn more, Sergio Perez said:
“Yeah. Definitely, there are things that you learn from him. I think it's obvious that I have the best reference out there, because he was the one who was so competitive. So, I think there's no harm in looking at what he's doing, how he's doing it, and try to learn and improve, see what works for you that he's doing differently to you. I think it's, I've always had a very open approach. And I think it's something that works.”
Acknowledging the inspiring dominance of the 25-year-old triple champion, Sergio Perez believes that the season came with its own learnings. He was able to draw insights from the garage next door to improve his own performance, which has aided him to seal second place in the championship.
Sergio Perez relieved after wrapping up second place in the championship prior to Abu Dhabi
Sergio Perez felt that the second place in the championship being sealed prior to the season finale in Abu Dhabi provides a relief. The Mexican had a slow start to the 2023 season, where his drive for 2024 was almost in question, despite being under contract until the end of that year.
He felt there were learnings about being able to reduce the gap between himself and Max Verstappen.
Red Bull had asserted that there was no set mandate for Sergio Perez to finish second in the championship to retain his contract. But a 1-2 in the championship was a feat the Milton Keynes squad had never achieved since their inception.
Given the dominance of the RB19, losing second place would have been a tough one for the Mexican in terms of his value on the grid.
Asked by Sportskeeda to give his overview of the season after finishing second, Sergio Perez responded by saying:
“Well, I think it's a good result for the team as far as I know. As I always say, it only matters where you finish off in Abu Dhabi. So that's been the main, the main thing, you need to be able to contribute to the team in this way.
"I think it's a good one. I'm also aware, you know, of the, let's say, the holes we had, the downs we had, and I think we've learned from them. So, I think that's really, really good. That's really important. And that's the best way to look forward. I think this year has definitely made us stronger as, as a group on my side of the garage, as a team. So it's been good.”
Further probed about his learnings from the season, the Mexican replied:
“I think it's about the gap. It's about how I was making use of it, and how I can make better use of it through the weekend, through different circuits. And all of that I think, I made a lot of progress, together with my engineering in understanding how to maximize performance of the car.”
Given the career trajectory of Sergio Perez from Force India to Red Bull, second place is the highest he could achieve, particularly with an exceptional teammate like Verstappen.
Beaten by 276 points, with Lewis Hamilton and Fernando Alonso threatening his second place, did not help the 33-year-old’s progression in 2023. However, to have achieved the 1-2 for Red Bull and wrapped up the championship in Las Vegas, he is now free to enjoy the season finale of 2023.
