Sergio Perez’s father, Antonio Perez, has made a daring declare about Max Verstappen’s 4 F1 championships with Pink Bull. In a press release to show his son’s pivotal position in Verstappen’s success, Perez Sr additionally by accident or deliberately referred to as Lewis Hamilton an “eight-time world champion.”
Perez was Verstappen’s teammate throughout all 4 seasons from 2021 to 2024, when the Dutchman went on a championship-winning streak. Sadly for the Mexican driver, he was not often in a position to match his youthful teammate. To make issues worse, his efficiency dipped with every passing season, and scrutiny from media and followers elevated, in the end resulting in his exit from Pink Bull on the finish of 2024.
Sergio Perez needed to sit out the 2025 F1 season, with no seats obtainable on the grid. Nevertheless, Cadillac, which can enter F1 because the eleventh crew in 2026, not too long ago introduced him and Valtteri Bottas as its two drivers. Lower than per week after that announcement, Perez’s father claimed that Max Verstappen would not even have received one championship with out his son’s presence as his teammate.
“Checo spent 4 years at Pink Bull. What number of years was Pink Bull champion? The 4 of them. Let’s hope he continues the subsequent 4 with out Checo. Checo Pérez made Verstappen world champion. If Checo Pérez had been given the Method 1 he was given the primary yr, the final yr he would even be Method 1 world champion,” Antonio Perez mentioned through Soymotor.
Perez Sr additionally highlighted his son’s pivotal position within the 2021 F1 season finale in Abu Dhabi, the place he fiercely defended towards Lewis Hamilton, giving Max Verstappen the sting within the on-track battle, resulting in the Dutchman’s first driver’s title.
“Checo Pérez, the primary yr, Pink Bull wanted him to be world champion, they gave him an excellent automobile and stored an eight-time world champion behind him, Lewis Hamilton,” Antonio added.
Sergio Perez will re-enter F1 with a clear slate with Cadillac, a crew that can begin from scratch on the pinnacle of motorsport.
Sergio Perez takes a dig at his Pink Bull successors after signing for Cadillac F1
Sergio Perez needed to face a rare quantity of criticism from F1 followers and analysts within the second half of his four-year Pink Bull stint, particularly in 2024. The Mexican driver’s efficiency was miles away from Max Verstappen’s final season.
Whereas the Dutchman received his fourth drivers’ championship, all Perez might handle was an eighth-place end within the standings. This price Pink Bull the constructors’ championship, with McLaren taking the crown after a 26-year drought.
Final week, after Cadillac introduced Sergio Perez’s return, he shared that he now not felt the stress to show himself, which was a relentless at Pink Bull. Furthermore, he additionally highlighted the poor efficiency of his successors, Liam Lawson and Yuki Tsunoda, in the identical Pink Bull seat.
“I really feel like there’s nothing to show. Not simply due to the present drivers or the subsequent drivers that have been in my seat, however even earlier than that. Now everybody forgets about it, nevertheless it’s been a really difficult place to be in, to always be adapting, to construct confidence mentally.
It is a very distinctive problem. I do not assume I’ve something to show whenever you see the quantity of factors they’ve scored. It is like 5 factors in your entire season.”
Lawson scored no factors within the two races he was at Pink Bull, whereas his successor, Yuki Tsunoda, has scored a meager 9 factors in 13 races. It’s now that the F1 world is coming to a consensus that it’s Pink Bull’s automobile that has been troublesome to drive all alongside, with solely Verstappen comfy with its pointy front-end.
alt=”Yash Kotak” top=”72″ width=”72″>
Edited by Yash Kotak
