Perez deemed hopeless for F1 title by Berger: 'No one can beat Max'

Gerhard Berger does not expect an exciting battle for the world title in 2023 in motorsport's premier class. The former Formula 1 driver, who was also team boss of Toro Rosso in the past, argues that the RB19 is far too strong for the competition and that Sergio Perez is not good enough with the same material as Max Verstappen.

Speaking to Kronen Zeitung, Berger stated that he is normally always reluctant to make predictions, but that this year it is already a done deal. The 63-year-old Austrian does not think it is feasible for Mercedes, Aston Martin and Ferrari to completely eliminate such a large gap in just over six months. Indeed, he points out that Red Bull also has an 'insane development speed'.

'Perez is not going to make things difficult for Max'

With that, only Perez can still thwart a third world title for Verstappen. However, the Mexican's chances are not rated highly. "It would be desirable for the fans if Perez and Verstappen could set up a duel like Senna against Prost. But I doubt it, Max is too strong", said Berger, who was also not that impressed by Checo's win in Saudi Arabia. "If both start from the front row, it looks different. Nobody can beat Max."

Verstappen had to start from 15th place after a problem in qualifying in Jeddah. In the end, he did finish second. After three Grands Prix, the Dutchman is 15 points ahead of his teammate.