The disparity between Sergio Perez and Max Verstappen’s performance this season at Red Bull is evident to the naked eye, with Perez falling 125 points behind teammate Max, despite being in the same car.
Among those who have noticed these differences, team bosses of Ferrari and Mclaren have been vocal about it. Fred Vasseur, team principal at Ferrari recently took a dig at Perez’s performance, acknowledging the difference and referring to it as “Red Bull’s problem.” Mclaren Racing CEO Zak Brown, on the other hand, was less subtle about his opinions regarding the same.
McLaren boss takes a brutal shot at Sergio Perez over Max Verstappen’s performance
So far this season, Verstappen has bagged 10 wins out of 12 races, with Checo seemingly falling off since his strong start to the season with two wins. Max is currently on an 8-race win streak, gunning to break Sebastian Vettel’s record of 9 continuous race wins.
Mclaren CEO Zak Brown recently reinstated the popular belief that these results are not a mere result of a superior car, but also due to Max Verstappen’s insane form in recent years completely overshadowing Perez’s performance.
Zak Brown:
"If [Red Bull] had two Sergios in the car, with all due respect, this championship would kind of be wide open."
"As much as Red Bull's killing everyone right now… it's really Max is killing everyone right now."
"That Max, Red Bull combination is just unbeatable at… pic.twitter.com/AMxrCJrtUk
— Fastest Pitstop (@FastestPitStop) August 15, 2023
In a recent interview, Brown said “If [Red Bull] had two Sergios in the car, with all due respect, this championship would kind of be wide open. As much as Red Bull’s killing everyone right now… it’s really Max is killing everyone right now.
Brown’s brutal claim against Checo has been much of the talk in the F1 community. But another speculation has been going around is that the reason for the difference in performance between the two Red Bull pilots could very well be a difference in the challengers afforded to them to fight for the championship!
Is Red Bull’s Sergio Perez driving the same car as Max Verstappen?
Sergio Perez has been falling more and more behind Max Verstappen as the season has progressed. Off to a strong start, Perez had clinched 2 wins for himself, with bold claims that he wishes to challenge for the championship. Unfortunately, he was not able to follow through on this promise.
At Monaco, while Max won the race Perez could only finish P16. Multiple times throughout this season, Checo has not been able to even make it into Q2. On the other hand, Max has been on an 8-race win streak. This apparent disparity has led to speculation among fans of the sport that the two pilots are actually given different cars! It has also been suggested that the upgrades being made to Max’s car have not been made at the other side of the garage.
However, Sergio Perez recently has himself shut down these speculations.
Sergio Pérez sends a message to those accusing Red Bull of sabotage: "It's crazy what is being said."
"My car and Max's car are the same. And they haven't touched my car, that's impossible."
"The team's interest is to have both cars up there every race. It's crazy what is… pic.twitter.com/cwYSNi3Lh5
— Fastest Pitstop (@FastestPitStop) July 22, 2023
Do you believe Perez should be replaced for the 2024 season? Or are you of the opinion that there actually is a difference between the two drivers’ cars? Comment what you think down below!
