Perez knows how to beat Verstappen: 'If I do.....'
Sergio Perez has expressed his admiration for Max Verstappen. Taking on the Dutchman for the fourth year in a row, the Mexican touched on what Verstappen excels at.
Perez made the switch from Racing Point to Red Bull Racing in 2021. Since then, Verstappen has been able to add three world titles, giving Perez the edge. For now, the Mexican has to make do with five wins and a second place in the 2023 world championship.
What Perez is working on in 2024
In the press conference in Australia, Perez is asked what he is working on to be able to beat Verstappen in 2024. "Just maximising myself in all the areas. I think Max is a very complete driver that he is very strong in qualifying, very strong in the race, very rarely has weaknesses or makes mistakes."
"He's driving at a very high level. I think when you look back, even in qualifying, the last two qualifying, he's been the only driver that has been able to maximise his full potential, come qualifying. So I think just focusing on myself, obviously keeping an eye on what he's doing, how he's getting the maximum out of the car. But at the same time, I think it's just important to focus on myself and get the maximum out of myself. And if I'm able to do that, I know that I'm always going to be very close."
So far in 2024, Perez has done that superbly. In qualifying, Perez still has to concede some ground to Verstappen, but in both races, the 34-year-old driver finished second behind his teammate. That leaves the gap in the world championship just 15 points.