“In the past I’ve had some jealousy from a team-mate,” Sergio Perez reiterates his harmonious relationship with Max Verstappen

“In the past I’ve had some jealousy from a team-mate,” Sergio Perez reiterates his harmonious relationship with Max Verstappen

Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez on the podium of Baku GP

The harmonious relationship between Sergio Perez and Max Verstappen is well-known. The two are known to have a relationship of great mutual respect, and good chemistry, having proven that on many occasions. It is rarely as easy or frictionless between teammates, and that is a testament to the two’s relationship.

One can say that is partly due to Perez understanding his role as the secondary driver to Max Verstappen, but even then, this season he has been better than in the last, and their relationship only seems to have improved, if anything. Max Verstappen has stated that Perez is the best teammate he’s ever had.

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Verstappen said: “I started of course very young in Formula 1 and I had I think also a very good relationship with Daniel But at the time I was still only 18, 19 and I think where I am now as a person is completely different. So I would say that what I have now with Checo is definitely the best, just because I matured a lot. And I think that also helps a lot with just how you approach each other.”

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Sergio Perez: “Sometimes in the past, I’ve had jealousy from a teammate”

Sergio Perez
Sergio Perez

Sergio Perez joined Red Bull in 2021, having been replaced at Aston Martin despite having outperformed his teammate by 50 points, and even taking a maiden victory at the Sakhir Grand Prix in 2020. Since that, he’s taken two victories and 11 podiums, as well as his first pole position, this year in Saudi Arabia.

Perez has a harmonious relationship with his teammate, but this has not always been the case for him. Notably, in 2017, he and Esteban Ocon clashed on several occasions. As reported by Motorsport Week, Perez said: “I think sometimes in the past I’ve had some jealousy from a team-mate.”

Elaborating on his point, he said: “Because you obviously want to win, but when the guy next to you wins you have to give the credit, he’s done better than you, he’s won and you have to accept that and also feel proud of what he’s done, the guy next to you.”

He added: “And I think not many people can take it, but I think within us, when I win, when Max wins, there is always… we feel proud of each other and that’s something good within us.”

Sergio Perez has had an unfortunate run of weekends in the past few races. In Azerbaijan, he showed much less pace than Max Verstappen, and in Canada, he retired from the race from a transmission issue. His fortune didn’t get better in Silverstone, but he came back to finish 2nd after suffering from front-wing damage from his contact with Charles Leclerc. In Austria, he again retired, as his car proved to have sustained too much damage from his first-lap contact with Sergio Perez. A clean weekend is a long time coming for the Mexican.

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