Imola GP cancellation benefits Sergio Perez in his title duel with Max Verstappen, asserts F1 pundit

Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez's rivalry intensifies with every race

Sergio Perez and Max Verstappen via Okezone Sports

The Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix has been canceled due to ongoing floods in the region of Imola. The race is unlikely to be rescheduled, resulting in the race calendar being shortened now to twenty-two races. This comes as a loss to championship leader Max Verstappen amidst his intense title duel with Sergio Perez.

The Imola GP was set to be the first conventional race track since the season premiere in Bahrain. Max Verstappen enjoys an immense advantage over his teammate Sergio Perez went it comes to proper race tracks. At the same time, the Mexican has a skillset attributed to street circuits, as he has displayed in the past. On his Youtube Live Stream, F1 pundit Peter Windsor has given his verdict on the winners and losers of the Grand Prix’s cancellation.

https://youtu.be/boZY5dQdTck

He said, “Absolutely no doubt that was more of a Max circuit than a Checo circuit, so that’s more of a loss for [Verstappen]. If these two guys are going to be very close on points getting towards the end of the year – which is a big if, of course – then Imola will be a race that Max will rue the absence of.”

FS Video

He is confident that Verstappen would have dominated his teammate at Imola, extending his current 14 point lead. Rather now with its cancellation, it gives Perez a chance to pull some points back at the Monaco GP, the most esteemed street circuit of them all, where Perez is the most recent winner. It comes as a loss to Verstappen as those are crucial points he may find useful in the future, should Perez maintain his consistency.

The rivalry between Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez is becoming iconic

Sergio Perez and Max Verstappen via Daily Star

In his first year at Red Bull, Sergio Perez made a significant contribution to helping Max Verstappen secure his maiden World Championship title, triumphing over the seven-time champion Lewis Hamilton. In 2022, Perez showcased his skills by providing tough competition to his teammate in several races. Now, he has emerged as a direct rival to the Dutchman, challenging him directly on the racetrack for his crown.

After completing five races in the exciting 2023 season, Verstappen currently holds the statistical advantage. However, Perez is not far behind by any measure. At the season opener in Bahrain, Verstappen claimed the lead, but Perez showcased a strong performance in Jeddah to equalize. Verstappen secured another victory in Australia, with Perez following suit by triumphing in Azerbaijan. The Dutchman reasserted his lead in Miami, making the gap 14 points.

Perez claims Verstappen rivalry at Red Bull is the 'SAME' as Senna vs Prost.

Sergio Perez’s father has claimed his son’s rivalry with Max Verstappen is on par with the famous Ayrton Senna and Alain Prost battles at McLaren.#F1 #Formula1
— F1PitlaneReport (@F1PitlaneReport) May 15, 2023

The ongoing competition between the Red Bull duo has resulted in a close points gap, leaving the world in awe of their rivalry. Had Sergio Perez emerged victorious at the Miami GP, having secured pole position, he would have taken the lead in the World Championship standings for the first time in his career. However, nothing could stop Verstappen with his RB19, showcasing a remarkable performance by charging through the field. Verstappen climbed from the ninth position to take the top spot in just 57 laps.

Their rivalry is the closest the world has witnessed between teammates for the title since Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg in 2016. Verstappen is the undeniable favorite due to his ability to take victory on both street and conventional circuits, while Perez doesn’t measure up to his teammate on the latter. The Monaco GP undoubtedly has more in store for this intense rivalry, and it will be exciting to see how it pans out.