{"id":394747,"date":"2026-01-06T06:22:08","date_gmt":"2026-01-06T06:22:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/394747\/"},"modified":"2026-01-06T06:22:08","modified_gmt":"2026-01-06T06:22:08","slug":"checo-perez-says-being-max-verstappens-teammate-at-red-bull-was-f1s-worst-job","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/394747\/","title":{"rendered":"Checo P\u00e9rez says being Max Verstappen\u2019s teammate at Red Bull was F1\u2019s \u2018worst job\u2019"},"content":{"rendered":"

For most Formula One drivers, the checkered flag signals the end of the tension. For Sergio \u201cCheco\u201d P\u00e9rez, however, that burden did not disappear when he crossed the finish line. The Mexican driver, who will return to F1 in 2026 with Cadillac, offered a blunt portrait<\/a> of what it meant to share a garage with Max Verstappen at Red Bull, insisting that there is no more thankless job in the pinnacle of motorsport.<\/p>\n

\u201cI was on the best team, a complicated team, because being Max\u2019s teammate at Red Bull is very difficult, but being Max\u2019s teammate at Red Bull is the worst job there is in Formula One, by far,\u201d P\u00e9rez said in an interview on Osvaldo Trava\u2019s<\/a> Cracks podcast.<\/p>\n

From day one, P\u00e9rez understood the ground he was stepping onto. The project, he explained, had a clear name attached to it.<\/p>\n

\u201cI knew what I was getting into; this project is built for Max. When I sit down for the first time with Christian (Horner), he tells me, \u2018Look, we\u2019re going to race with two cars because we have to race with two cars, but this project has been created for Max. Max is our talent,\u2019\u201d he explained.<\/p>\n

P\u00e9rez arrived in Milton Keynes with solid credentials after stints at Sauber, McLaren, Force India and Racing Point, but his most scrutinized chapter came alongside Verstappen, where every lap was examined and every result carried weight. He raced for Red Bull from 2021 through 2024. His best season came in 2023, when he finished runner-up. In 2024, Verstappen claimed another title, while P\u00e9rez ended the year eighth, a result that led to his departure.<\/p>\n

Life inside the team, according to P\u00e9rez, was never simple.<\/p>\n

\u201cEverything \u2014 practically everything \u2014 at Red Bull was a problem. If I was very fast, it was a problem because it created a very tense environment. If I was faster than Max, it was a problem. If I was slower than Max, it was a problem,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

The overall assessment of the project, even amid on-track dominance, left a bitter taste.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe had the best team. Unfortunately, everything was destroyed,\u201d P\u00e9rez said. \u201cWe had the team to have dominated the sport for the next 10 years, I think, and unfortunately it all ended.\u201d<\/p>\n

When speaking about Verstappen, the Mexican driver offered nuance. He acknowledged his mental strength and conviction, but also drew a line. He described him as \u201cmentally strong, with tremendous confidence in himself,\u201d while adding, \u201cI think the downside is his character\u2014when things go against him, he struggles a lot to deal with it.\u201d<\/p>\n

Even so, P\u00e9rez closed the chapter with gratitude.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen what happened at Red Bull happened, obviously I felt sad, but deep down I knew it was the best thing that could have happened to me. I was very much at peace with myself because I gave everything to the team, and Red Bull gave everything to me, and I think they\u2019re grateful that I was part of their team just as I\u2019m grateful to have been part of Red Bull,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

After taking 2025 as a sabbatical year, P\u00e9rez is preparing for a new beginning with Cadillac F1, where he will be teammates with Valtteri Bottas. Away from the paddock, he has also shown his human side: Although he said he does not consider himself active on social media, he recently posted a message<\/a> on his Instagram stories showing support for Venezuela amid the country\u2019s political crisis.<\/p>\n

\u201cVenezuelan brothers and sisters, I send you a big hug with lots of affection, an example that faith is never lost. My prayers are with you. Free Venezuela!\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"For most Formula One drivers, the checkered flag signals the end of the tension. For Sergio \u201cCheco\u201d P\u00e9rez,…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":394748,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[572],"tags":[64,63,813,806,805,803,804,85],"class_list":{"0":"post-394747","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-motosport","8":"tag-au","9":"tag-australia","10":"tag-formula-1","11":"tag-motor","12":"tag-motor-sports","13":"tag-motosport","14":"tag-motosports","15":"tag-sports"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/394747","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=394747"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/394747\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/394748"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=394747"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=394747"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=394747"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}