“It’s important that we finish our season on a high,” Sergio Perez looking to end the year off strong and ‘come back and fight for the title’ in 2023


“It’s important that we finish our season on a high,” Sergio Perez looking to end the year off strong and ‘come back and fight for the title’ in 2023

Sergio Perez

In the first part of the season, especially after his Monaco Grand Prix win – Sergio Perez seemed like he may genuinely be in the fight for the championship. Soon, however, that faded away. As it is now, both championships are sealed and Max Verstappen is 149 points ahead. The only thing left to fight for is P2 in the WDC, in which Perez and Charles Leclerc are currently level on points going into the season finale.

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Even if he’s missed out on the championship, 2022 has been the most successful year of Sergio Perez’s Formula 1 career by quite some distance. He’s taken his first pole position this year, in addition to two race wins. He’s fighting for his highest-ever championship finish – and Red Bull are treating it as a priority, as they’ve never had a 1-2 in the championship before.

Reflecting on his season, as per Motorsport Week, the Mexican driver told the media: “Certainly, it started really well. Some reliability issues in the beginning, but things were looking on track. We were in the mix for the championship early on. I had a couple of bad races that really put me off contention for the championship.”

Perez wants to ‘come back next year’ and fight for the championship: “So, there is some work to do in that regard together with the team to make sure that we can keep that consistency throughout and that we can come back next year and fight for the title if we were to have a similar level of car for next year.”

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Also Read: “I’m more amazed by Checo’s comment,” Jenson Button on Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez’s spat at the Sao Paulo GP

Sergio Perez thinks that he is currently at his ‘best’

Sergio Perez (Images through IMAGO / Eibner)
Sergio Perez (IMAGO / Eibner)

Sergio Perez’s objective going into Abu Dhabi will be to secure P2 in the championship. While he goes into the season finale level on points with Charles Leclerc, he could have had an advantage if Max Verstappen had chosen to let him through as the team had asked him to. Instead, Verstappen refused, citing that: “I have my reasons.” and a bundle of controversy has erupted from that [click here to read more].

But the Mexican driver still has a good shot at it, and Red Bull and Verstappen have made it clear that they will help him in any way that they can. Perez feels it’s important to finish the season on a high: “It’s important that we finish our season on a high so that we can come back next year and start strong throughout the season.”

The championship challenge in 2023 also depends on his comfort with the car: “I think it really depends on how comfortable I am at the start of the season with the car, as I was in the beginning of the season, then it slipped away. So I think as Formula 1 drivers, we are constantly working for new challenges, you know, all the time. But I do feel, at this time, I’m pretty much at my best.”

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While Leclerc and Perez are the prime candidates for P2 in the championship, mathematically – there is another. If both of them should crash out while squabbling, then George Russell, who just won a race in Brazil, could technically finish P2 if he wins in Abu Dhabi with the fastest lap. On paper, Perez should have the advantage in Abu Dhabi with a generally better package, that is, if last weekend was a one-off.

Also Read: “Would have cost him nothing,” Martin Brundle critical of Max Verstappen after not helping Sergio Perez at Sao Paulo GP

Also Read: “Lack of pace made everything complicated”: Sergio Perez speaks out publicly for the first time since ugly fight with Max in Brazil GP