With the new regulations and the intense championship bout in 2021, no one could’ve expected it. No one expected Max Verstappen to make the 2022 season a cakewalk. The Dutchman not only won his second world championship but also shattered the single-season race wins record. Verstappen definitely raised the bar for the 2023 season with his performance in the 2022 season. Despite the pressure to repeat the feat, the Dutchman is oozing with confidence after the three-day pre-season testing.

Verstappen deserves all the praise he can get for his performance in 2022. However, it was a team effort to get the Dutchman on the top step of the podium on 15 occasions. There is no doubt in anyone’s mind the RB18 was a far superior car than the rest. Even Lewis Hamiton admitted Adrian Newey and Red Bull did an amazing job. According to Verstappen’s comments that Adrian Newey and Co. have one-upped themselves with the RB19 despite the budget cap penalties of reduced wind tunnel time and $7 million fine.

When asked to comment about the 2023 challenger after the testing sessions, Verstappen said, as quoted by Fox Sports, “We have definitely improved compared to last year […]. What we have put into the car this year has been clearly better, everything has been faster. We have more things in the pipeline, but we know what our limitations are.” (Translated Via Google)

“They have been very positive days, I have enjoyed driving the car. From the first moment I felt confident. It has worked really well and everything we have tried has been very interesting. Especially for the wheels [Pirelli has changed its compounds this year] it behaves a little differently,” he concluded.

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Verstappen’s ruthlessness is going to get a boost in 2023? A daunting outlook for all drivers on the grid. Especially for his teammate Sergio Perez who is taking active steps to compete with his teammate.

Sergio Perez reveals his plans to get closer to Max Verstappen in the 2023 season

Verstappen has been ruthless in the past couple of seasons and by the looks of it, he will continue doing so. This makes the life of his teammate extremely difficult as well. This is exactly why Sergio Perez is taking steps to get himself closer to Verstappen to fight for the championship.

“I want to go one step further and become a more complete driver in all aspects so that I can take the next two steps in my championship. Being Max’s teammate is quite a challenge. He is very complete, he hardly makes mistakes,” confessed the Mexican.

Their rift in Brazil might be added motivation for Perez to mount a challenge against Verstappen. However, it will be a step climb for Perez. It will be a back-breaking task for Perez. However, if he can beat Verstappen, he will completely change the outlook of the world towards him.

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Do you think Perez has what it takes to beat Verstappen in equal machinery?