The stint at Red Bull
Before his return to Formula 1 this year behind the wheel of the debutant Cadillac, Sergio Perez spent four fluctuating seasons at Red Bull. The Mexican, signed by the Milton Keynes team in 2021, indeed achieved several victories and contributed to the team’s world championship successes, but he mainly had to contend with teammate Max Verstappen, who was crowned world champion at the end of all those seasons. A complex period, therefore, but one that also brought some lessons.
Read more Steiner criticizes Bottas: “He gave up, Cadillac can replace him”
The ‘Professor’ Verstappen
Perez spoke about these in the High Performance podcast, emphasizing how the experience alongside the Dutchman was definitely important for his growth: “Being alongside Max for four years means having a driving force – he commented – even though he enjoys all the support a driver could wish for, Max is an immense force, an extremely complete driver in every aspect“. During his chapter at Red Bull, Perez faced more performance crises than Verstappen, highlighting other qualities noticed in the four-time world champion even off the track: “Max is a true leader in the way he pushes everyone around him to give their best. He knows exactly what he needs to go fast and where he is lacking something. He is a hard worker. Learning this from Max and seeing him in action for four years, with very different cars, definitely made me faster“.
Read more Short step: the ‘shortcut’ taken by McLaren that now has a limit
Besides this, Perez identified in his former teammate a rather rare ability to spot the team’s weak points, working to solve them: “Pushing the team in a certain direction is not something many drivers know how to do. Telling them exactly where we are missing something and how we can achieve it is a very, very special thing I have learned”.
Read more Marquez: “Who will be my heir? Acosta can lead the new generation”
