“I can relate to him,” Valtteri Bottas empathizes with Sergio Perez’s ambitious championship dreams

Valtteri Bottas was the wingman for Lewis Hamilton during his dominance in F1.

Valtteri Bottas and Sergio Perez via Sports Illustrated

Sergio Perez is challenging the Red Bull number one Max Verstappen for his crown of World Drivers’ Champion in 2023, with his ambitions growing beyond the capacity of being his wingman. This presents itself as a case of deja vu, where we last witnessed this sort of dynamic between Valtteri Bottas and Lewis Hamilton between 2014 and 2021.

Relating to Perez’s desire to challenge his champion teammate for the title, Bottas has spoken to racingnews365. He said, “I can kind of relate to him that he’s trying to find something new every year in trying to beat his teammate. I think he’s had a pretty decent season so far, and time will show for sure, but it’s not going to be easy [for him to beat Verstappen].”

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While at Mercedes for five years, Bottas managed to outpace Lewis Hamilton in qualifying and races occasionally. However, he failed to maintain a consistent challenge for the championship over the course of a season. He admitted that it was very difficult to concede that Hamilton was quicker than him.

Bottas believes that the fight between Perez and Verstappen will stay consistent until a point comes where the team decides what is best for them, as he experienced at Mercedes. He said that both drivers are favored equally until an obvious favorite for the title emerges, at which point the losing teammate must concede and comply with team orders.

Who was the better wingman, Sergio Perez or Valtteri Bottas?

Sergio Perez and Valtteri Bottas via F1I

As Lewis Hamilton’s teammate, Valtteri Bottas was often seen as his wingman, who would support Hamilton’s title bids by helping to take points off his rivals, in addition to providing him with a tow in qualifying and acting as a rear gunner in races. Despite some flashes of brilliance, Bottas was never quite able to mount a sustained challenge to Hamilton’s dominance over the course of a full season.

However, his consistent performances and willingness to put the team’s interests first were highly valued by Mercedes, which ultimately led to him being re-signed for several seasons despite facing competition from other drivers for the seat. During their five-year partnership, Hamilton claimed the drivers’ title four times, only being bested by Max Verstappen in the final year. This was a successful dynamic that propelled Mercedes to the top. Bottas never challenged team orders and was willing to put aside his aspirations for the good of the team.

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As Verstappen’s wingman, Sergio Perez’s primary role was to support his teammate’s championship aspirations by providing additional strategic options during the races. This involved playing a vital role in defending against other drivers, leading the race to help Verstappen conserve his tires, or backing up the pack to help his teammate create a gap. We saw this best applied in the 2021 season finale, where Perez held up champion Hamilton so that Verstappen could close the gap immensely.

This rapport and dynamic at Red Bull stayed consistent until the Brazilian GP of 2022, where Verstappen refused to return the favor to Perez, resulting in the latter losing P2 in the standings to Charles Leclerc. This caused tensions and rumors of an alleged rift. Since then, in 2023, Perez has declared his intention to challenge Verstappen for the crown, relinquishing his wingman role.

Helmut Marko on Sergio Perez:

"Don't underestimate Sergio. He changed a lot since he came to us. He started working!"

"Before, he was a Mexican race driver who was enjoying life. He still does, but he does the necessary work."

"He is the most successful driver from Mexico now,… pic.twitter.com/gS2G2EsdVv
— Fastest Pitstop (@FastestPitStop) May 4, 2023

He has convinced the team to drop team orders, allowing them to race amicably and compete. He has taken two wins this year, the same as Verstappen, and sits only six points behind him in the drivers’ championship. Should he stay consistent, he will prove a formidable adversary to the Dutchman. Regardless, Bottas seems to have fulfilled his role in the wingman capacity better than Perez, putting the team’s interests first and for far longer.