Sergio Perez told to use Nico Rosberg tactic and rock the Red Bull boat

Johnny Herbert has urged Sergio Perez to “go for it” in his fight against Max Verstappen even if it means antagonising his Red Bull bosses, after all, that won Nico Rosberg the 2016 World title.

Back in 2016 Rosberg was up against Lewis Hamilton for the World title, the German adamant it would be his season after Hamilton won in 2014 and again in 2015.

Clashing both on and off the track, the team-mate battle was a headache for the Mercedes team bosses with Toto Wolff and Niki Lauda threatening to fire them after the Spanish Grand Prix.

“We had some rules put in, that you are not allowed to and you have to pay a penalty if you do it again or we will think of releasing you from your contract, because we are team players here and we cannot destroy each other,” Lauda revealed.

The season ended with Rosberg and Hamilton not talking to one another but for Rosberg he had that World title that he’d been dreaming of.

This season Perez finds himself in a similar situation as he looks to take the crown away from his double World Championship-winning team-mate with the two separated by 14 points after five races.

Herbert has told the Mexican driver to rock the boat if that’s what’s required.

“If it’s your only chance, a bit like Nico,” he told Express Sport. “All the little things he did during his time with Lewis.

“He wasn’t popular within the team and his relationship with Toto I believe wasn’t very good, but he got that trophy on his mantlepiece.

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“You can’t control that. If it’s your only shot you’ll do anything to get that trophy on your mantlepiece. If you get thrown out at the end of that season that trophy is on the mantlepiece.”

In Rosberg’s case it must be noted he wasn’t thrown out, he in fact shocked Wolff and Lauda when he informed them after the season finale that he was retiring.

It has been suggested, though, that if Perez causes too much unrest he could find himself on the sidelines with reserve driver Daniel Ricciardo promoted in his stead.

But given that Verstappen showed killer instinct at the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix to take the fastest lap point away from Perez despite have been given a delta time by Red Bull, Herbert says Perez needs to show that attitude too.

The former F1 driver added: “We know Max has got that mentality and Lewis has that mentality and all the other drivers in the past who have won World Championships.

“Now it’s seeing if Sergio wants to do the same thing. It’s a risk that you may lose that seat, the best seat in Formula One at the present time. But to win a World Championship? I’d go for it.”

Perez needs to return to 2017 ruthlessness

Back in 2017 Perez raced wheel-to-wheel with his team-mate Esteban Ocon, the two clashing on the track as they tried to get the upper hand with then Force India team boss Otmar Szafnauer having to get involved.

As with Wolff and Lauda the year before, he too threatened to bench his driver if they didn’t stop clashing.

But while no one is advocating for Perez to crash with Verstappen, he needs to regain that mentality of not backing down.

Naturally grateful to be employed in 2021, he was right to move over for Verstappen even if it meant losing out on a race win. That he also wasn’t aggressive in 2022 probably wasn’t a bad idea either.

But now he has the multi-year contract and he has a genuine chance of winning the title, he has to make life a lot more difficult for his team-mate – not like in Miami when he rolled over – even if it means trading paint on occasions.

Verstappen won’t back down from a fight, Perez needs to show his team-mate that he won’t either.