Valtteri Bottas claims Sergio Perez is struggling against Max Verstappen because he ‘lacks confidence’

Sergio Perez was vastly outperformed by Max Verstappen in 2023, scoring fewer than half the points that his triple champion teammate managed.

Valtteri Bottas claims Sergio Perez is struggling against Max Verstappen because he ‘lacks confidence’

Valtteri Bottas, Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez (Via IMAGO)

Sergio Perez was a huge way off his teammate Max Verstappen in 2023, attaining less than half the points his Dutch teammate could bring. Perez made numerous mistakes over the season, particularly in multiple instances during qualifying.

10-time race winner Valtteri Bottas had some words of advice for the Mexican driver. Bottas said that to match a driver operating at such a high level, self-confidence was essential, and without that mentality, partnering with a champion driver could prove extremely difficult, a sentiment shared by Helmut Marko.

You have to have this attitude [that you can beat anyone]. You can’t go into a race weekend and tell yourself you can’t beat him. You would have already lost. In this sense, it is a sport in which you always have to have good self-confidence and convince yourself.
Valtteri Bottas said, as reported by PlanetF1.

Valtteri Bottas himself has experience partnering a multiple World Champion, aiding Lewis Hamilton in his title charges from 2017 to 2021. The Finn managed to finish second in the championship twice, scoring multiple wins with Mercedes in the process.

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Valtteri Bottas disappointed over Alfa Romeo’s 2023 performance

Alfa Romeo have been one of the backmarker teams since their entry into F1 as a sponsor for the Sauber team. However after years of development and progress, the 2023 season seemed promising, scoring points in the first race of the season at Bahrain.

Valtteri Bottas (via IMAGO)

However, this performance was short-lived, as the Italian team barely managed any further points in the 21 races following Bahrain. Valtteri Bottas expressed his disappointment at the performance drop-off, claiming the season was tough, and 2024 would be a long-awaited season for the team.

I think, sadly, I would say that the very first race of the season, we had a solid weekend, scored immediately, everything was looking quite good. But then it's been a tough ride. There's been a few occasions we have scored, but not enough times.
Valtteri Bottas said, as reported by gpblog.com

The Alfa Romeo team has rebranded as the Italian car manufacturer has left the sport. The team’s current name has been changed to Stake F1 Team Kick Sauber, though this has led to criticism for their questionable creativity to incorporate that name.

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