Sergio Perez: “If I Was Faster Than Max, It Was a Problem”
Sergio Perez has opened up about his time at Red Bull and the challenges of racing alongside four-time champion Max Verstappen.
The Mexican driver joined Red Bull in 2021 after stints with Force India, Racing Point, McLaren and Sauber. He initially performed well, finishing fourth in the drivers’ championship in 2021, third in 2022 and second in 2023. However, he struggled as the car became increasingly tailored to Verstappen, leaving him eighth in 2024. Perez was replaced for 2025 by rookie Liam Lawson, who was then replaced by Yuki Tsunoda. For 2026, Isack Hadjar takes the seat.
Speaking on the Cracks Podcast, Perez said: «We had the best team… being Max’s team-mate at Red Bull is the worst job there is in Formula 1, by far. Everyone forgot how difficult it was to be in that seat.»
He recalled his first meeting with team principal Christian Horner, who made it clear the project was built around Verstappen.
«I knew what I was getting into,» Perez said. «I told him: ‘It doesn’t matter. In this team I’m going to develop the car, I’m going to support the car, I’m going to support the team.’»
Perez described early success in 2022 when he was putting faster times in the simulator than Verstappen. But as car upgrades arrived, he struggled to adapt.
«When the upgrades arrive… I no longer know what the car is going to do in the corner. I’m already thinking about not crashing, and then the crashes start,» he said.
He added that the team often complained regardless of his performance.
«If I was very fast, it was a problem… If I was faster than Max, it was a problem. If I was slower than Max, it was a problem. So everything was a problem,» Perez said, highlighting the intense pressure of being Verstappen’s teammate.
Kursiv also reports that Cadillac has confirmed Zhou Guanyu as its reserve driver ahead of the team’s debut season in Formula 1.
