Max Verstappen‘s dominant 2023 season has to be one for the history books. The RB-19 secured wins in 21 out of the 22 races, with Max Verstappen contributing to 19 of them. Sergio Perez was comprehensively beaten by his teammate in all aspects of F1.

However, this wasn’t looking so dire at the beginning of the season. Especially around Azerbaijan, a circuit that Perez loves, he was able to get the win ahead of Max Verstappen, thanks to an ill-timed pitstop by the now three-time world champion. This gave Max Verstappen the burning desire to produce a season that was as dominant as what we just witnessed.

Max Verstappen vows to never be beaten again

During a recent show, former Formula 1 racing driver and current broadcast specialist Karun Chandhok recently revealed a conversation that took place between him and Jos Verstappen. He reveals that after Baku, Max Verstappen was never the same.

“I saw Jos Verstappen in Qatar, an evening after Max clinched the championship. We were chatting about the season, then he said to me that Max was furious after Baku. When he came home, he said to his dad ‘I’m not going to get beaten by him ever again this season. Lo and behold, he was right.”

The burning desire to stay ahead of Sergio Perez showed in the very next race in Miami. Max Verstappen could only qualify P9 while the Mexican had qualified from pole. Despite this, he was able to comfortably win the race, finishing over 5.6 seconds ahead of his teammate. The celebration that followed, where Verstappen pointed to himself and his car and signaled “number one” says it all.

Read more: Jos Verstappen’s Tough Love Finally Ends as Max Verstappen Transforms Into F1’s “Superman”

The season, which started out looking good for Sergio Perez, went from bad to worse as the year went on. Baku, the fourth race of the season, also happened to be his last win and one of the handful of podiums that he managed to clinch that season.

Is Perez set for a future away from Red Bull?

The number of experts and pundits questioning Perez’s place on the second car in Red Bull has increased a lot over the last few months. While he did put together three decent races towards the end, the rest of his performances were under constant scrutiny. Some pundits even called Perez delusional for dreaming of beating the now-three-time world champion. While Verstappen was able to finish 20+ seconds ahead of the rest of the grid, Perez wasn’t even on the podium for a majority of the races.

Even the 2-time world champion Mika Hakkinen delivered a crushing verdict on Perez’s future. “I know that having a Mexican driver is important for Red Bull. Mexico is a big market, which has its effect on things. But ultimately, you’re there to race and bring good results.” He continues, “You can’t rely on one driver only. You need to have two drivers on a certain level in order to develop the car. Is Perez’s future at Red Bull? I think it’s highly unlikely.”

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However, Red Bull has confirmed that Perez will be continuing for 2024. He has one year to prove to the Austrian team that he is the perfect candidate for the second seat and not others like Daniel Ricciardo.