From almost being unemployed in 2021 to helping his team win the constructors’ championship in 2022, Sergio Perez has come a long way. Had it not been for Red Bull, who knows where the Minister of Defence would have been as he had lost his seat to Sebastian Vettel. Checo has paid them back well, though. In his first season with the team, he prioritized Max Verstappen and his success over his own and helped him win his maiden championship. In 2022, he continued to play second fiddle to the Dutchman but improved his performance. Having seen it all closely, Checo’s father, Antonio, feels his son is ready to take the big step and fight for the championship himself.

As Red Bull put up one of the most dominant displays in the recently concluded season, Verstappen took the spotlight. The Dutchman delivered 15 race wins out of the team’s total tally of 17. That being said, Perez’s contribution cannot be undermined, for had it not been for his 305 points and 2 race wins, the Milton-Keynes-based team would have had to make do with just the drivers’ championship once again.

Nextgen-Auto recently reported Antonio Perez as saying, “The last two years have been the most important for him. The best thing is his relationship with Red Bull.” [Translated using Google]

“You have to remember that Checo was not at that level and he found it, after losing everything at Force India and Racing Point, when he was made redundant and left jobless.”

“But these two years have been the most important in every way for Checo. It’s an experience that is very difficult for Mexico to repeat and we must take advantage of it. I tell you the best of Checo, we haven’t seen it yet. He still has a lot to give, and surely, in time, Mexico will have an F1 champion.”

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The Red Bull duo had a bit of a falling out following what happened at Interlagos. In that context, Daniel Ricciardo’s inclusion into the team was seen as a threat to Perez’s place in the team. Helmut Marko, however, assured him of his place and hailed him for his contributions.

Christian Horner hails Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez as the best Red Bull lineup ever

Ever since the team’s inception in F1, Christian Horner has been at the helm of affairs at Red Bull. Highs and lows, he has lived it all with this team. The Euphoria of the double championship was just too much even for Horner as he branded his current drivers the best he’s ever had.

In a video released by Oracle Red Bull Racing last month, Christian said, “Love that you guys have been fantastic this year and the way you’ve both raced has been amazing. I think, for me, it’s the best team we’ve ever had. I think technically, with the way you guys have worked, for me, compared to all the years we’ve done, we’ve never had it this good.”

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Is the pairing of Max and Checo really the best Red Bull has ever had? Or was it Sebastian Vettel and Mark Webber in your opinion? Let us know in the comments.