Sergio Perez Accuses Red Bull of Prioritizing Verstappen

Red Bull’s new recruit, Sergio Perez, has accused the team of prioritizing Max Verstappen over him in the quest for championship glory. The Mexican driver claimed that he had not received enough support from his team and that the constructor had to step up to provide him with more assistance if he was to compete alongside Verstappen.

Background

Sergio Perez joined Red Bull this season on a one-year deal after being dropped by Racing Point. The Mexican was brought in to replace Alexander Albon, who failed to impress alongside Verstappen. Perez aims to stand a chance in this year’s championship fight as he believes that Red Bull’s car is the best on the grid.

Perez Accuses Red Bull of Favoritism

In a recent interview, Sergio Perez highlighted his disappointment at his lack of support from Red Bull. The driver believes that Red Bull has a history of prioritizing Verstappen’s efforts over his. The Mexican claimed that part of the problem was due to Red Bull’s loyalty towards Verstappen when building the cars.

Perez said, “I think that historically the team has always been set up around one driver, I could see that even before I joined. But, I do believe they are genuinely set up to support both drivers this year and I think we have seen signs of that in testing and in our first race.”

Horner Responds

Red Bull boss Christian Horner responded to Perez’s accusations and dismissed them as unfounded. Horner stated that the team makes decisions based on how each driver is performing on any given day rather than because of favoritism.

Horner said, “The team has never favored one driver over another. Everyone is judged on their performances and what they deliver out on track. It will be no different this year.”

Horner emphasized that Red Bull is committed to providing the same level of support and attention to both Perez and Verstappen in their bid for the championship.

Perez and Verstappen Battle

Verstappen and Perez are expected to compete for the driver’s world championship in 2023. Still, there have been rumors of tension between the two drivers, which could impact their championship hopes. When asked about this, Horner played it down, saying that there is a team-first rule in place when it comes to engagement between the drivers.

Horner also highlighted how important it is for Red Bull to bag as many points as possible early on since there is limited development capability for the rest of the season.

Final Thoughts

Sergio Perez has yet to get off the mark with Red Bull this season after failing to score points in two races. He still believes that he could fight alongside Verstappen if given equal treatment by his team. Red Bull’s Christian Horner continues to praise Perez for his strong start to the season and job done last year. The actual form book for this season will only be established after three or four races, Horner said, reminding Perez to focus on his own performance and let the team take care of theirs.

Image Source: Wikimedia Commons