No preferential treatment yet for Verstappen in duel with Perez in 2022

Sergio Perez has made a good start to the 2022 Formula One season. The Mexican had bad luck in Saudi Arabia, but the start of his second year at Red Bull Racing can count on approval from Helmut Marko.

Duel with Verstappen

Perez did not always convince in his first season for Red Bull Racing. In the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, Max Verstappen's teammate made up for a lot, but over the year as a whole he simply fell short of the Dutchman in qualifying and races. In 2022 Perez seems to be in a better position.

The new regulations play an important role in these shifts. Marko states at Formel1.de That you see the effects of the regulations in the differences between drivers. For example, Perez has been able to close the gap because he feels more comfortable with this car. In addition, he knows everyone in the team now and is more in tune with his race engineer.

Perez gets a chance

Although Verstappen is the reigning world champion, he should not count on preferential treatment for the time being. According to Marko, the two Red Bull drivers were told prior to the race in Jeddah that it was free play. No rules so early in the season and so Perez still had every chance to show himself.

Yet there was a difference between Verstappen and Perez in Saudi Arabia. The Mexican unfortunate lost his lead due to a safety car that came just after his pit stop, but the two-time race winner also had more wear on his tires and was slower than Verstappen on the hard tire, according to Marko. So the 'problem' could possibly have resolved itself even if Perez had still been on the track before Verstappen.