Perez Can't Win Championship 'Unless Max Was Injured' Says Gallagher

Thursday, 15 February 2024 at 22:00

Formula 1 pundit Mark Gallagher said he feels sorry for Sergio Perez because people around him claim he can win the Championship, but he can't.

Sergio Perez is one of the most fortunate and unfortunate drivers on the grid at the same time. On the one hand, he got to drive the Championship-winning, dominant car for the last two seasons.

On the other hand, Max Verstappen is his teammate, and as Christian Horner said in the past, being the Dutchman's teammate is the toughest job in the pitlane.

According to F1 pundit Mark Gallagher, it is a pity that the Mexican driver does not have the opportunity to compete for the Championship despite his team saying otherwise. He said on the Flat Chat podcast:

"I feel so sorry for Sergio Perez for one reason, and that is that he and people around him, and from time to time, the way that perhaps Christian [Horner] needs to talk about him, they insinuate that he may have an opportunity to win the World Championship. He doesn’t."

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While both Checo and Verstappen are afforded the same opportunity in terms of machinery, Gallagher suggests Perez has no chance because he can compete with the triple World Champion.

"He doesn’t have the opportunity to win the World Championship unless Max was injured, God forbid, and missed most of the season."

Last season was probably the most shocking for everyone in terms of the comparison between the two Red Bull drivers. Max Verstappen finished 290 points ahead of the 34-year-old in the Championship.

290 points is a massive gap. To put it into perspective, that's more points than the Mexican driver himself was able to accumulate over the course of the full season. Yes, Verstappen amassed twice as many points. The pundit added:

"Max has the beating of Sergio. The truth is in the data. You talk to anybody at Red Bull, and they will tell you, 'We know who's the quicker driver by some margin.' It's there for all of us to see. It's kind of unarguable."

In 2024, Perez's contract with Red Bull is at stake. Could this factor help the Mexican driver to push more out of himself than before? He stated he plans to challenge the Dutchman for the title this year. Do you think Checo can do it?