Red Bull driver Sergio Perez is facing a downfall in his professional career which deteriorating popularity among fans and teams. Since the season had set in, he struggled during the qualifying sessions and faced multiple crashes.
From ruthless criticism by the media calling him a “second fiddle“ to teammate Max Verstappen to facing racist remarks from Red Bull’s very own Helmut Marko, Perez has seen it all. He now decided to voice his opinion on all the criticisms he has been facing.
When compared to their top rivals like Mercedes where the power dynamic is similar to the Austrian team, the junior driver George Russell has it a lot easier than Sergio. According to the Mexican driver, “He crashed from third place on the last lap, but you don’t hear anyone talking about it. If something like that happens at Red Bull, you immediately have three hundred media channels on your roof telling you that you have to leave.”
📰: Sergio Perez speaks out on harsh judgment in F1. Cites George Russell’s Singapore GP crash, which received less criticism. Believes his Mexican nationality also influences perception. Proud to represent Mexico globally.#F1 pic.twitter.com/fPJ7pB0qWb
— F1 Naija 🇳🇬 (@f1_naija) September 29, 2023
Sergio Perez further added, “This kind of thing happens often in Formula 1 and that’s how it works in a team environment. Also, I have the feeling that the fact that I am Mexican also has a big influence.”
His opinions are unsettling given the fact that it is somewhat true and he also has been struggling mentally and emotionally as a result of the critique against him.
Sergio Perez is finally realizing the power of Max Verstappen
The Dutchman’s dominance over the sport in this ongoing season is something nobody had thought of and is quite remarkable. He has been influential to the extent that a seven-time world champion like Lewis Hamilton demanded measures to hold him back.
Even after facing a setback at the very recent Singapore Grand Prix where he failed to get into Q3, Verstappen remained ardent to secure this year’s championship title.
📰: Christian Horner finds a silver lining in Sergio Perez’s challenging Japanese GP. While Verstappen shined, Perez faced penalties and collisions, but the only positive was avoiding a grid penalty for Qatar.#F1 #JapaneseGP pic.twitter.com/KIZre9sIzV
— F1 Naija 🇳🇬 (@f1_naija) September 25, 2023
The stark difference between the two Red Bull drivers was very prominent in the 2023 season. The team principal Christian Horner explained why Verstappen is ahead of his teammates to ESPN, “He’s [Verstappen] operating at an insanely high level and with the benefit of experience now. His ability to get there so quickly, you look at his laps, the first time you turn up at a grand prix or a new circuit, his first lap of the day will often be two, three seconds quicker than anybody else.”
Horner believes that Max possesses the ability to connect with the car instantly which makes him superior. At Red Bull, the Dutch driver has built a reputation as the team’s unstoppable performer.
While Sergio Perez being the most recent Red Bull driver, is having trouble keeping up with Verstappen’s domination as his hopes of mounting a championship campaign in 2023 have quickly faded.
