Sergio Pérez and Max Verstappen completed their third year as teammates in Red Bull Racing in 2023 in what was the team’s most successful season with 21 victories in 22 grand prix contests.
The championship began with both drivers battling head-to-head in the first races, before the Dutchman pulled away in the fight and headed for a comfortable early crown to seal his third F1 world title.
Amid Verstappen’s dominance, the year between both drivers passed without internal problems, unlike what was a hot end in 2022, when a controversy arose in the Brazilian Grand Prix, penultimate of the season, when Verstappen refused to help to “Checo” Pérez in his fight for the runner-up position with Charles Leclerc.
Pérez was asked on the occasion of the Abu Dhabi GP how the dynamic with Verstappen had been throughout the year, to which he responded: “I think it has been a good year. I think our relationship is really good. When we are in all those Technical meetings through so many races, I think it’s been good. And we’ve been pushing sometimes in different directions, but at the same time, we’ve been strongly asking for the same things. That’s also been positive for the team.”
Photo by: Mark Sutton / Motorsport Images
Max Verstappen and Sergio Pérez in the Red Bull team photo
When asked if the relationship is better now than before, the Guadalajara driver commented: “Yes, I think it has been much better. Well, I think it has always been good, this is our third season together. So it has been good. “.
Finally, Pérez had glowing words for Verstappen, who had an impressive 2023 in which he won 19 grand prix.
“I think the way he’s approached it has been really impressive. I think he’s done a tremendous job. He’s really been on another level. And I think it’s great to see, obviously, we’d all like to be in his position. But just There is one champion per year,” he concluded.
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