Perez doesn't have it easy: "Red Bull expects another Verstappen"

Sergio Perez is gearing up for another season with Red Bull Racing. Where he made his debut at the Austrian racing stable last year, he knows that in 2022 the expectations will be higher. However, he is by no means shying away from that, he tells ESPN.

The Mexican was the successor to Alexander Albon at the beginning of 2021 who could not live up to expectations. Perez started with a lot of confidence, but over the course of the season, he too realized how complicated it is to have Verstappen as a teammate. The Dutchman rose above himself and invariably left Perez behind.

Perez, therefore, received much criticism from the media, but recovered during the calendar year. At the last Grand Prix, which took place in Abu Dhabi, he even managed to be of great value to Verstappen by keeping Lewis Hamilton behind for a long time and thus giving his teammate the world title.

However, he knows better than anyone that his level needs to rise quickly. "Red Bull expects another Verstappen," Perez let his feelings be known. "And the media too, and the fans too. All of that comes with it. I feel I'm pretty strong in that regard but it requires a lot of resilience to it."