Horner defends Perez by exalting Verstappen
Keep up with Max’s pace Verstappen it is a complex operation. If it is conceivable that several riders could have won the 2023 World Championship in his place, it would be much more difficult to believe that they would have done it in the same way, giving continuous demonstrations of clear superiority and often humiliating their teammate in direct comparison.
The issue of the performance of the Dutchman’s teammates is well known: some even risked their careers, like Alex Albon (later reborn in Williams), and Sergio Perez could have the same fate. After two years of ups and downs, Checo started his third season in Red Bull very well: three victories in the first five races (including the Baku Sprint); with the first heat of the season, however, the Mexican ended up in the Verstappen meat grinder, making one mistake after another, to the point that the Dutchman ended the World Championship with six Grands Prix to spare.
Horner’s words
How much demerit there was for Perez and how much merit for Verstappen in dominating oranje of this year? Red Bull team principal Chris Horner responded: “Being Max’s teammate is probably the hardest job there is in the pit lane, because he operates at a very high level and doesn’t make any missteps. The performance he has been exhibiting for three or four years would be difficult for any driver on the grid to match“.
Perez’s contract ends at the end of 2024. Assuming that he reaches that date as a Red Bull driver, at this moment the percentages of his renewal are from the telephone area code. Horner also admitted that the team is looking around, although he did not specify for which year: “We are certainly not short of options. We have plenty of time to examine and evaluate this aspect, but there are many factors at play. In every athlete, mental strength always plays a fundamental role. Checo experienced a decisive moment this year, probably in Miami, where he had arrived by winning two GPs and a Sprint, and therefore he was confident: Max’s victory despite starting from ninth place was brutal on a mental level: from then on Max hit the mark in every race“.
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