Sergio Perez has described being Max Verstappen‘s teammate as “the worst job in Formula 1“.
Perez spent four seasons alongside Verstappen at Red Bull before being dropped at the end of 2024 with two years remaining on his contract.
After a year away from the grid, Perez is returning to F1 this season with the newly formed Cadillac team.
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The Mexican driver completed a four-season stint with Red Bull. Getty
“I was on the best team, but it was complicated because just being Max’s teammate is extremely difficult, but being Max’s teammate at Red Bull is the worst job there is in F1. By far,” Perez told the Oso Trava’s Cracks podcast, which was posted on YouTube on Monday.
“I knew what I was up against.
“At Red Bull, everything was a problem. If I was faster than Max, it created a very tense atmosphere; it was a problem if you were faster than Max.
“Conversely, if you were too slow and Max was slow, then everything was also a problem.”
Perez’s most successful campaign was in 2023, when he finished as runner-up to Verstappen in the world championship.
While Verstappen secured another championship in 2024, his fourth consecutive title, Perez finished eighth and was subsequently released by Red Bull.
“We had the best team, but unfortunately, everything was destroyed,” Perez said.
“I think we had the team to dominate the sport for the next 10 years, but unfortunately, it all ended.”
Sixth place Max Verstappen of the Netherlands and Oracle Red Bull Racing and eighth place Sergio Perez of Mexico and Oracle Red Bull Racing, look on in parc ferme during the F1 Grand Prix of Italy at Autodromo Nazionale Monza on September 01, 2024 in Monza, Italy. (Photo by Mark Thompson/Getty Images)Â Getty
In the interview, which has been translated from the original Spanish, Perez praised Verstappen’s talent behind the wheel but offered a nuanced critique of his temperament, specifically his ability to handle adversity and high-pressure moments.
“I believe his character is also a significant issue,” he said.
“When circumstances turn against him, he finds it extremely difficult to deal with it, like what we all saw unfold in Barcelona [last year].
“He has that particular side to him, but I think if he didn’t have it, he wouldn’t be Max either.”
Perez will partner with Valtteri Bottas at Cadillac.
Since making his F1 debut in 2011, the Mexican driver enjoyed his greatest success at Red Bull, finishing fourth in 2021, third in 2022 and second in 2023.
– with Emily Patterson