'I Have More Problems And I Am Suffering': Perez Responds To Verstappen Comparison

Tuesday, 31 October 2023 at 11:30

Red Bull Racing F1 driver Sergio Perez responded to comparisons drawn between him and his teammate Max Verstappen.

Sergio Perez continued his streak of bad results at the 2023 Mexico City Grand Prix. The Mexican driver had to retire from the race after the first-lap incident with Charles Leclerc.

The most important race this season for Checo ended earlier than he would have wished. Consequently, he lost 19 points to his closest Drivers' Championship rival Lewis Hamilton.

As a result, the gap between the Mexican driver and the seven-time World Champion came down to only 20 points. Hamilton told the media after the race in Mexico City he will try to snatch the second place from Perez in three remaining race weekends.

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The pressure on the Red Bull driver increases every single race as his only goal is to finish second in the Championship, and he is on the cusp of losing it. Asked how he deals with pressure so it doesn't get to him, Perez told L’Equipe:

"I've tried not to let that happen. But it's not easy. I didn't want my family to suffer, for example. But F1 is my life. It's not just a job that you can leave at the door when you get home. F1 is my passion."

After the race at Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez, Max Verstappen has officially more than twice as many points as Perez. Asked if there is any difference in performance between him and his teammate, the 33-year-old responded.

"I'd say that he's been able to adapt to the car better than I have since Miami. He's managed to get more performance out of it. I have more problems and I'm suffering trying to sort them out and find the right settings."

While Perez mentioned already he was struggling with his Red Bull car, he doesn't have much time left to get to grips with it. This weekend in Sao Paulo will contain both sprint and normal race, giving his rival Hamilton more opportunities to catch up in the Championship.