Verstappen: A Force to Reckon With, Even for His F1 Teammates
Oct.6 - Sergio Perez shouldn't be too downbeat about being easily defeated by his ultra-dominant Red Bull teammate Max Verstappen in 2023.
That is the view of Dr Helmut Marko, who said great drivers like Dutchman Verstappen always secure a clear upper-hand over their teammates.
"My father always said 'You have to destroy your teammate'," Verstappen said two years ago.
And according to Marko, that's just what he did.
"(Ayrton) Senna's teammates all went under as well," he told Kronen Zeitung.
"Gerhard Berger can tell you a thing or two about that. Max is just a different beast. I only know of the older men like Alonso and Hamilton who could cope alongside him."
Mexican Perez has a contract in place for 2024, but that hasn't stopped speculation that he might not survive as Verstappen's teammate for much longer.
Perez, 33, admits that he has been impressed by his soon-to-be triple world champion teammate.
"Max is capable of performing even with a car that is more difficult to drive, even in delicate conditions," he told the Belgian broadcaster RTBF in Qatar.
"This commands respect, and I admire this aspect of his driving. He is able to put in an exceptional lap, regardless of the performance level of the car and even when things aren't suiting him. That's what makes him unique.
"He's above everyone at the moment," Perez admitted.
However, Perez insisted that there is also a positive side to driving the same car as Verstappen.
"Of course," he said. "Being the teammate of one of the best drivers in the history of Formula 1 helps you develop.
"All of his teammates suffered, because as I said, he is extremely difficult to beat, no matter what the circumstances are. We all experience ups and downs, but it seems that he doesn't."
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Top drivers go for the jugular, but you do not destroy your teammate in the process. You go around it, and in fact assisting your teammate if need be... Max is one of the top drivers ever. It is sad that I have to conclude that at the very same time, he is not a teammate to reckon with. It is all Me, Me Me. I wonder if that is the way he treats his mother...
Solid observation. It is NOT true that to be a great driver you must be a prick. As a racing driver, you always know where you truly rank. If you've penetrated the heart, no need to twist the knife.
Im sure Max has told Perez, Hey dont crash the car and you'll finish better. Perez won two races this year, he's not some new rookie. What do you expect Max to do, give him a hug and a pep talk after every race. I dont get the sense at all that Max is a me me me guy, just a great driver who is in a league of his own.
Tommy, with a smile, I say that you need to pay better attention. VER has admitted publicly that he is a me me me guy.
Look at all highly talented individuals in all aspects of life not just sports. They are in a league of their own. There is nothing that Max could tell Perez, to improve his drive. These drivers are the best of the best in motorsport, they may be young, but they have been in competition for most of the young years. Perez must of known his first season at RB that he had to raise his skill levell of driving to even have a chance to compete with. I don’t blame Max for driving to the best of his abilities, I blame Perez for not realizing that he no longer could afford stupid mistakes if he had any chance to come to Max’s level. Sorry only the best will do, Perez took his wins and thought it was good enough, he found out the hard way it wasn’t.
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