Sergio Perez has really taken the fight to his teammate Max Verstappen this season. But the world champion still leads the championship by 46 points over the Mexican driver. Since this surely looks like a potential title fight brewing in the Red Bull base, fans are happy to see that both the drivers still share a great relationship and have immense respect for each other. Despite all that, Red Bull team principal Christian Horner has revealed that there is no such thing as a teammate in F1.

Formula One is a unique sport where your teammate is your biggest competitor. You are judged against your teammate who is also driving an almost identical car. Both drivers work towards winning the constructor’s championship, but, more importantly, they also care about finishing higher in the driver’s title.

‘That’s where the prestige lies. The emphasis of the team is on the constructors’ title, and the emphasis for the drivers is on that other title. That they are teammates is an illusion. They are certainly not sizes. The man in the other car is the only person you are compared to. So it can make or break your career,” said Horner during an interview for Cambridge Union. (translated using Google)

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Being second in the driver’s championship, Perez is having the best season of his 12-year-long career. His performances also earned him high praise from the Team Boss.

Red Bull team boss praises Sergio Perez for his performances against Max Verstappen

This year, Perez is much closer to his teammate and reigning world champion as compared to 2021. He won the Monaco GP and gave a tough fight to the Dutchman at Barcelona before he was eventually asked to hand the lead to Max.

“With the two drivers we have now, we have a great deal in the form of Sergio, a driver who is slightly older and wiser, and who can continue to see the bigger picture throughout such a season. Last year he helped the team enormously, as did Verstappen,” said the Red Bull team principal.

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It is fascinating to hear that Horner believes they’re no such thing as teammates. Both drivers, and of course their quick RB18, are precisely the reason behind the success of the team this season. Fortunately, there have been no conflicts between Perez and Verstappen as yet in their partnership. But let’s see how their partnership evolves as the season progresses and the title fight intensifies.