Former F1 driver claims Max Verstappen is ‘very happy’ with Sergio Perez’s massive pace deficit

Johnny Herbert was convinced that Max Verstappen is delighted to have a 125 points gap to Sergio Perez.

Former F1 driver claims Max Verstappen is ‘very happy’ with Sergio Perez’s massive pace deficit

Max Verstappen (image via PlanetF1), Sergio Perez (image via Racingnews365)

Max Verstappen is presently dominating Formula 1. The Dutch driver has won ten races in the first half of the season with a staggering eight-race streak. On the other hand, Verstappen’s teammate Sergio Perez has failed to put up a real challenge this year. As the Mexican driver trails behind the two-time world champion. Former F1 driver Johnny Herbert believed the current situation is ideal for the reigning world champion.

Firstly Herbert pointed out that the current disparity between the two Red Bull drivers is concerning for Sergio Perez. The 59-year-old claimed that the Mexican driver must be worried about lagging behind his teammate by such a huge margin so early this season. He said, as reported by Motorsports.Com, “This is alarming to Perez. You certainly don’t want to be that far away from your teammate. As Perez, I would be worried and very uncomfortable.”

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On the other hand, the Briton was convinced that Max Verstappen must be delighted with the current status quo at Milton Keynes. The lack of a real threat from Perez has allowed the Dutch driver to race freely without pressure for the race win. Herbert explained, “Verstappen is very happy with the current situation. He is not under pressure and is not challenged further.”

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Johnny Herbert names potential drivers to pair Max Verstappen

Max Verstappen and Lando Norris (image via Motorsport.com)
Max Verstappen and Lando Norris (image via Motorsport.com)

The former race winner believed that Red Bull was alarmed by the big gap between Verstappen and Perez. Presently, Sergio Perez is 125 points behind the reigning world champion. As such, the Briton believed that Milton Keynes would already be looking into its options to replace the Mexican driver if he failed to improve.

Herbert named McLaren’s Lando Norris his first pick to pair with Max Verstappen at Red Bull. Although, the 59-year-old was not confident if the British driver would leave his existing contract with the Woking-based team. Moreover, the former F1 driver was convinced that Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz could also be ideal replacements for Perez.

Thus, Johnny Herbert was confident that Max Verstappen was happy with his massive lead over his teammate. The two-time world champion has delivered impressive performances this season as he continues to annihilate Sergio Perez and the rest of the grid. Although, it remains to be seen if Perez can turn things around in the second half of the year.

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