Perez's dad disagrees with Checo criticism: 'RB19 made for Verstappen'

Whereas Max Verstappen has been so dominant that he has won 13 of the 16 Grands Prix ridden, Sergio Perez has been disappointing. The Mexican crashed out at the Japanese Grand Prix on Sunday due to his own mistakes. Despite the disappointing results of late, Antonio Perez, Checo's father, stated in advance of the race to Esto.com that his son is very important for Formula 1.

As Verstappen's teammate, Perez is having a tough time. The Mexican is not as good with the RB19 as his Dutch teammate, and this is painfully visible in the results. Verstappen can become champion in Qatar as early as the sprint race, while Perez is already almost 200 points behind.

Perez important for the sport

Checo's father says his son is very important to the sport: "Today, Sergio Perez is the most solid driver in Formula 1. If you look at how many fans he has around the world. How many Mexican flags do you see in Japan? He is the only Latin American driver. Add to that how many are fans of him. Any brand in the world would be happy with a Checo Perez."

'RB19 set for Verstappen'

In Singapore, Red Bull as a whole were disappointed, but Perez finished far behind Verstappen. Antonio Perez explains why: "They were struggling with the new floor, testing the grip of the tire that will compete next year, and this tire did not benefit Red Bull that much. Checo continues to battle. The car is set for Max (Verstappen) because he drives with all the grip at the front, and Checo has done it all the time with the grip at the back."