“It’s Show Business”: Sergio Perez Slapped With Harsh Reality Against “Elite” Max Verstappen

Max Verstappen ended the 2022 season securing staggering 15 wins in a year with 22 races. Showcasing ballistic pace on Saturdays and brilliant racing on Sundays, he received heaps of praise from all around. Although after his stubborn stance of not letting Sergio Perez pass him at the 2022 Brazilian GP, he ended up getting wrath from the fans and F1 pundits. Amidst all the judgment, an ex-Red Bull legend showed Sergio Perez the harsh reality.

Unlike the season 2021, where the thrill and suspense kept fans holding their nerve up to the final lap, this season was a dominant show by the Red Bull ace, Max Verstappen. He ended the season, breaking Lewis Hamilton’s record for most points in a season (454). However, this year the whole Red Bull camp has been under heavy scrutiny. Firstly, the team got indulged in the budget cap saga, and later their star driver was criticized by fans and F1 pundits.

Despite that, Max has now been defended by a Red Bull legend, David Coulthard for his stubborn stance in the Brazilian GP to hold on to his P6. According to Coulthard, Verstappen’s argument with the team shows an elite driver’s mentality.

Talking to the Mirror Sport, he said,” The reality is that Max is one of the elite drivers in the world. Elite drivers like the Schumachers and Sennas didn’t pass through their career without examples of stand-offs and disagreements with their teams. That’s part of their DNA and part of what makes them successful.”

“To use a line from Jerry Maguire, ‘it’s not show friends, it’s show business’.”

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The Former Red Bull driver backs the decision of Verstappen and believes that Sergio Perez is still inconsistent as compared to the Dutchman.

Coulthard says that Checo Perez didn’t deliver on the same level as Max Verstappen

The 13-time Grand Prix winner David Coulthard feels that Sergio Perez should accept that he is in Red Bull as a second fiddle. After the Brazilian GP incident, most of the critics said that Verstappen was at fault for not giving his position to the Mexican driver, but Coulthard backed the step of Verstappen and even said that Perez should now accept that he is Red Bull’s number 2 driver.

Besides, the Ex-Red Bull driver claims that Checo should be thankful to the Milton Keynes side to give him a chance to race with a car that’s arguably the best to win races. He said, “Checo was out of Formula 1 with no one knocking on his door. Red Bull gave him the opportunity to come back, and a car that’s nailed on to win races.”

Adding Further he said, “He’s had a fair crack of the whip to try to beat Max, and he has consistently not delivered on the same level. He has occasionally done so, and I admire the victories he has had.”

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Verstappen’s decision to not let him through for those 2 extra points must have hurt the Mexican driver. However, Perez finished at P3 in the championship, trailing Charles Leclerc by 3 points. Do you think the matter is resolved? Or, the fire is still ignited in Perez’s head?