Sergio Perez has revealed the personal transformation that his teammate Max Verstappen has undergone, driving him to make major achievements and success in F1.
Red Bull’s Sergio Pérez believes he knows Max Verstappen quite well after spending three seasons driving alongside the Dutchman. He also explains how Verstappen went from being a Formula 1 prodigy to a three-time world champion in just a short period of time.
Max Verstappen became the youngest driver in Formula 1 history when he joined Scuderia Toro Rosso in 2015 at the age of 17.
Verstappen secured a promotion to Red Bull in the middle of his rookie season, marking the beginning of his journey to become one of the most talented drivers in F1 despite his young age as he amazed everyone with his skill and confidence.
The Red Bull star put on one of the most dominant performances in the history of the sport in 2023, winning 19 of 22 races and taking home his third consecutive world title without even a shadow of challenge from rivals.
Perez, who has struggled to keep up with Verstappen’s lightning-fast pace, thinks Verstappen is more laid back than ever despite his incredible success.
The Mexican reflects on his first encounter with the 2023 champion and discusses how he has transformed over time.
“I remember I met him in his first season of F1, I think in Melbourne, and straight away you could see that he was something special,” Perez said.
“Something really talented, very confident and ready to go.”
Though many have seen the Dutchman’s transformation, Perez has experienced it firsthand and has suffered as a result. Even yet, he finds time to compliment Verstappen’s maturity after seeing a change in his personality.
“I think nowadays he’s a bit more chilled, confident as well,” Perez added. “He’s always been very confident, though, but he’s more chilled, he knows what he can do and it’s just… he’s a very relaxed boy.”
Verstappen has always had unwavering faith in his abilities, according to Checo, but the main distinction is that he is now a ‘more laid-back guy.’ Checo believes he has successfully shaped and channeled his impetuous nature, which has allowed him to be exceptionally competitive without making any missteps.
In light of uncertainty regarding Perez’s future at Red Bull, team boss Christian Horner has been bound to repeatedly state that the Mexican will remain the Dutchman’s teammate in 2024.
Although his long-term future is still unknown, Perez hopes to be able to regularly battle Verstappen for race victories in 2024 and make a bigger contribution to Red Bull’s quest to win both the constructors’ and drivers’ championships.
Although he is aware that Red Bull is backing Max to win a fourth championship, he still wants to take things back to the first races of his previous campaign, when he overcame Verstappen in two races.
