Photo credits: Oracle Red Bull Racing
Sergio Perez has won two Grands Prix in 2023 but in recent race weekends, the current gulf between himself and Max Verstappen – his two-time F1 Drivers’ World Champion teammate – has been evident. After struggles in Monaco, misfortune for Perez continued in Barcelona as he started P11. However, his drive through the field to P4 will have surely been a confidence booster and Oracle Red Bull Racing team principal Christian Horner feels that his driver will now ‘re-find his form’.
Unfortunately, for Sergio Perez, his teammate Max Verstappen is in breathtaking form and dominated last weekend’s Spanish Grand Prix with his third career Grand Slam in the pinnacle of motorsport. The Dutchman now tops the F1 Drivers’ World Championship on 170 points after just 7 Grands Prix. Meanwhile, Perez – his closest challenger – is on 117 points.
Perez’ P4 in Barcelona exceeded the projections of his team as Christian Horner told media post-race ‘It said on a clean race P5.’ Therefore, P4 for the Mexican is a timely result as he hopes to return to race winning form. Perez was also in contention for a most unlikely podium and was praised for this by Horner in his recent remarks.
“The fact that he was getting within a couple of seconds from the podium as well at the end there hunting down George
The 2023 F1 season is a long one and there is certainly plenty of time for Sergio Perez to be back in the race – literally. Horner’s comments in Barcelona also evoke a team owner who feels that the slump is behind his driver.
“He’s had a difficult Monaco, a difficult Saturday here and a stronger Sunday. I think now looking at the gap between the two drivers which is pretty significant in many respects that will take pressure off his shoulders, and I think that will allow him just to now relax not put pressure on himself and just you know re-find the form that he had in those early races,” Horner predicted.
The question was also put to Christian Horner as to whether Sergio Perez is putting almost too much pressure on himself given how hard it is to go into Max Verstappen’s level – which results in really laying things on the line during a race weekend. In his response, Horner agreed stating: “I think so.” Before following it up saying: “We know what Checo is capable of. We’ve seen in races like Azerbaijan. I’m sure he’ll re-find that form in the near future.”
Prior to this, Christian Horner had already been defending his driver in a televised Sky Sports F1 exchange with 2016 F1 Drivers’ World Champion Nico Rosberg. The former Champion had told Horner on air: “You were just saying he did a good race, but I thought it was quite a lack of performance, especially during the early part of the race. Isn’t that true? I mean, comparing to Max there were some laps where there was quite a gap.”
Having heard such criticism, Horner responded with his all too familiar dry wit saying with a smile: “You’re a critical kind of guy, aren’t you? You’re tough on these guys. Now you’re out of the car you have to criticise all the guys.”
News of such defence will also do Sergio Perez no harm as it reinforces to the Mexican racer how highly he is thought of by his team principal. Also, it should not be forgotten that in Miami last month, Perez could have taken the lead in the 2023 F1 Drivers’ World Championship seeing how he started on pole while Verstappen was back in P9. Obviously, it didn’t work out that day how the many millions of Checo’s fans would have hoped with Verstappen crossing the finish line just ahead of his teammate. Nevertheless, it is a reminder that things can turn around quickly in F1.
However, since that day, Max Verstappen has led every single lap and his Monaco qualifying is already becoming legendary. The simple fact is that no one can get close to Verstappen at present – including his teammate in the same RB19. So, maybe critics saying ‘it is down to the car’ will start realising that the driver does play a significant role still in modern day F1.
The RB19 is obviously an exceptional piece of machinery but Max Verstappen is showing that he is an exceptional driver. The hardest job in F1 at the moment is surely that of being Max Verstappen’s teammate. So, the fact Perez has two wins to his name in 2023 should not be overlooked. Should Perez re-find this early season form as his team principal expects him to, there is every expectation that race wins will be much closer in the coming months – even if the F1 Drivers’ World Championship proves not to be so.
