Sergio Perez tells critics he’s ‘not here for people to give me any grade’
Red Bull driver Sergio Perez holding his phone during a press conference. Imola April 2022
Unable to match Max Verstappen this season, Sergio Perez says dealing with a barrage of criticism can be “super-hard” for a driver.
Perez joined Red Bull last season and became the first of Verstappen’s team-mates since Daniel Ricciardo to win a grand prix.
Expected to kick on this season, it has not happened for the Mexican driver.
While he was on a par with his team-mate in the opening rounds, as Red Bull upgraded the RB18 Perez felt it was leaning more towards Verstappen’s front on style.
The team denied it was deliberate, saying their only priority was to make the car faster.
But as the upgrades came thick and fast it was Verstappen who pulled ahead, the Dutchman winning six of the last seven races and racing to a second World title which he wrapped up in Japan.
Perez, who won during the only blip in Verstappen’s recent run, is P2 and over 100 points behind his team-mate, leading to some questions about his form.
“It can be super-hard but this is why Formula 1 is so difficult,” said the 32-year-old, quoted by GPFans.
“People just see the result and then they start to criticise you because you have done two bad races in a row.
“We live in such small margins and such small margins can make such a difference to our performances.
“But we had to go over it ourselves, dig very hard and then try to come out with solutions for the rest of the year.”
The victory dinner after the victory lap #thatsmoney @cashapp ?
La cena de la victoria despues de la vuelta de la victoria. #esoesdinero #thatsmoney @cashapp pic.twitter.com/43TLe6ddR2
— Sergio Pérez (@SChecoPerez) October 17, 2022
It is not the first time the driver has had to deal with this, facing the same during his year with McLaren. That proved to be just a short stay, Perez dropped by the team after only one season and signing with Force India.
“McLaren happened many years ago,” he said. “I’ve been in this sport for so long and sometimes I feel people don’t really understand the situation I’m in, the team I’m in, who I am facing and all of that.
“But I’m not here for people to give me any grade, I’m here for my own reasons and I just have to get on with it.”
Sergio Perez is the perfect number two to Max Verstappen
Red Bull could not have asked for a better driver to play number two to Verstappen.
They did not have that in Daniel Ricciardo, too good for the job, and they did not have it Pierre Gasly or Alex Albon, neither up to the job.
But they do have that in Perez, the perfect middle ground.
There is absolutely no tension between the two, both appreciating where they are in life – Verstappen a driver on his way to breaking records, Perez a driver whose career was prolonged by the Red Bull lifeline.
The Milton Keynes squad can tell us until they are blue in the face there are equal opportunities for both drivers, and there probably are, but they are separated by the undeniable fact Verstappen is the better/faster driver.
As such, there is no confusion or hurt feelings in the mix. And there are even race wins for Perez.
He won in Monaco when Verstappen could not, the two separated by Carlos Sainz, and clinched his second win of the season in Singapore where Verstappen had arguably his worst race of the season.
None of those took wins away from the Dutchman – what they did was take them away from Ferrari.
Isn’t that what a number two is supposed to do?
Read more: Christian Horner: Max Verstappen ‘quite clearly the most talented’ Red Bull driver ever
