Max Verstappen concedes Sergio Perez’s superiority at street circuits, confesses his distaste for non-conventional tracks

Perez has a skillset suited perfectly to street tracks, and the results have reflected it.

Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez (Credits: Sports Illustrated)

Ahead of the Imola Grand Prix, Max Verstappen has admitted his track preference to the media. The Dutchman expresses an affinity for racing on conventional circuits rather than street tracks, asserting that his teammate Sergio Perez excels on the latter.

Out of the five Grand Prix that have been conducted this far, four of them have been street tracks, with the opener in Bahrain being the exception. Despite this, Verstappen has emerged victorious at three races, while his teammate has taken the top step in two. Perez is known for his propensity for street circuits.

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Speaking to the media, Verstappen admitted, “I think sometimes some tracks probably suit you a bit better and probably for Checo, his driving style and the way he likes the car probably suits a bit better to a street circuit. I personally don’t really enjoy street circuits. So probably there is also something in that. I prefer more the fast corners, but that’s how it goes. You have a few street circuits on the calendar, a few normal tracks as well.”

The upcoming triple-header includes a single street track, namely, the prestigious Monaco Grand Prix, where Perez is the most recent winner. Should he wish to maintain his title battle, he must establish this sort of consistency on conventional race circuits too, where his teammate is much more dominant.

Max Verstappen has an undeniable pace advantage away from street tracks

Sergio Perez and Max Verstappen via Reuters

In recent years, Sergio Perez has established himself as a specialist in street circuits, earning a reputation by securing five out of his six career victories at races held in high-intensity street-based circuits.

Following his impressive pole positions at the formidable Jeddah and Baku circuits in 2022, the Mexican driver proceeded to achieve victories on the challenging streets of Monaco and Singapore. However, in the Drivers’ Championship, he ultimately secured a distant third place, trailing behind his Red Bull teammate Verstappen by a substantial margin of 149 points.

f1fanatic: Perez just needs to win on a “proper circuit” now – Horner | 2023 Azerbaijan Grand Prix #F1
— Racing News F1 (@RacingNewsF1) May 1, 2023

A similar theme might emerge in 2023, despite Perez only standing a win behind Verstappen. He is yet to beat the Dutchman on a conventional track, and with the vast majority of remaining circuits being just those, the scales are tipped in Verstappen’s favor.

The title duel amongst the Bulls is heating up, with only 14 points separating them. The upcoming tripleheader features two conventional circuits, which favors Verstappen. He is not particularly weak at street tracks either, far from it. As of his three victories, two have come at tracks meant to play to Perez’s strengths. It will be exciting to see the pair go wheel-to-wheel once again at the Imola GP.