Sergio Perez will not disobey team orders: “I would do what they asked me to do”
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Sergio Perez fully trusts the team.
Sergio Perez is having a fantastic season. He is currently only 21 points behind the reigning world champion, his teammate, Max Verstappen. He is also second in the points table, having eclipsed Charles Leclerc in Azerbaijan, now sitting 13 points ahead of him. While some of this may be down to Ferrari’s own misfortunes and missteps, Perez’s performance can’t be underestimated.
The qualifying form is only slightly in Max Verstappen’s favor, with the Dutchman having out-qualified Perez 5 times, while Perez has been able to also outqualify him 3 times. This is already 2 more times than he had qualified ahead of Verstappen in the whole of the 2021 season, and we’re not even halfway through.
The Mexican retired during the first race in Bahrain, and sometimes his car’s performance has been hampered during races when it was out of his control. Moreover, he has had to concede the lead to teammate Max Verstappen, who according to Red Bull had better pace. The first time he had shown a bit of resistance, saying: “It’s not fair, but OK.”
But Perez did not try to fight Red Bull’s decision in Azerbaijan, letting Verstappen go without any real protest. It is also important to know that Perez was suffering from heavy tire graining on his rear tires, which would have played a part in this decision made by Red Bull. Perez says that he understands this and fully trusts the team.
Sergio Perez trusts the team, but makes it clear: “I’m here because I want to win”
Prior to the race weekend, Sergio Perez was interviewed by Canadian newspaper La Presse, where he said that he would not disobey the team’s orders if any such situation may arise again in the future, even as he may be in the hunt for a championship, he will try to act in the best interest of the team.
“If they told me to do it, I would do what they asked me to do. I don’t see why that wouldn’t be logical.”
His decision is also helped by the fact that he is on very good terms with teammate Max Verstappen: their relationship is clearly one of deep mutual respect. He said:
“He is obviously a very talented driver. He is capable of delivering excellent courses and excellent results. It’s a big challenge for me to have him as a teammate.”
Despite his good relationship with Verstappen and respect for the team’s intentions: Sergio Perez is certainly not here to play second fiddle. He makes it clear that he is in the sport to win.
“If I was here thinking I want to finish second, I should stay home instead. I’m here because I want to win and I think I can do it. Having this motivation is what drives me. That’s why I’m here.”
Right now, it’s a long season, and Perez is in a car that can compete at the front. Considering that he is only 21 points behind Max Verstappen at the moment: Anything is possible.
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Aniket Tripathi
(1002 Articles Published)