Does Sergio Pérez still have to think about the championship title?
Eight Grand Prix have passed since the beginning of the season and Sergio Pérez is already trailing his teammate Max Verstappen by 69 points. Although the Mexican describes himself as a serious contender for the world championship, the last four races have almost ended his title campaign. So, is it truly too late?
Teammate of Max Verstappen for the 3rd year, 2023 was supposed to be the season of revelation for Sergio Pérez, the one where he would prove himself to be a competitive enough driver to give the Dutch powerhouse a tough time. And it’s safe to say that Pérez’s start to the season surprised many. Winning in Saudi Arabia and Azerbaijan, he challenged Max Verstappen for almost two months. But after that, almost nothing.
Miami: the tipping point
Miami, yet another street circuit that Sergio Pérez was facing, with reports suggesting he excels on this type of circuit. In qualifying, he took advantage of a red flag that prevented Max Verstappen from setting a second time, and inherited the pole position. The Dutchman was 9th on the grid. The stars appeared to be aligning for the Mexican.
But in the race, it was a different story. Max Verstappen didn’t waste any time and with a stratospheric pace, he overtook his teammate who couldn’t do anything except go wheel-to-wheel with the Dutchman at the first turn, but in vain. It was a huge blow for the native of Guadalajara. « It’s very simple: when you don’t have the pace in the race, it’s very difficult to win. So, congratulations Max », he declared at the end of the Grand Prix, an admission of weakness.
A loss of trust
From Miami, nothing is going well for Pérez. A very promising start to the season followed by nothingness, that’s what summarizes this first third of the season for the Mexican. In Monaco, he violently crashes at Sainte-Dévote in Q1, compromising his weekend. In Spain and Canada, he fails to make it to Q3 and endures difficult races due to a clear lack of pace. Some will say it’s a vicious circle, others will say it’s too much pressure. Regardless, Sergio Pérez seems to have lost track of the championship race.
Is it still reasonable to fight against Verstappen?
Now with a 69 point gap behind Verstappen, Pérez may need to look behind, where Alonso and Hamilton are only 9 and 24 points behind him. Already, the Mexican must alleviate all this accumulated pressure and regain confidence during a weekend. This might allow him to get back into the battle for victory. Fighting for the championship is another challenge.
Helmut Marko seems clinical on this point, claiming that Perez has found someone stronger than him. And how can we blame him? Max Verstappen truly seems untouchable this season, and with such a big deficit in points in the championship, there is little hope for Perez.
Will Red Bull let Pérez fight again?
The Mexican will not have the legitimacy with his team to fight with Max Verstappen due to his delay. The Austrian team has already allowed Pérez to fight freely at the beginning of the season. Now that they have a strong leader, why put Pérez back in the race? Before wanting to continue fighting, Pérez would first need to have the chance. Max Verstappen will also not give any gifts to his teammate.
To hope for a comeback, Sergio Pérez will have to make a strong impact before the summer break and show a faster pace than his teammate. But will he be capable of it? Nothing is less certain. His contract expires at the end of 2024, but the Mexican could still be in danger this season if he doesn’t turn things around. « “If he stays five tenths behind Max, we won’t achieve our goal,” Helmut Marko said after the Canadian Grand Prix.
Before thinking once again about the title of world champion, Pérez must focus on his own performance in the car. Only then, perhaps, he will be able to allow himself to dream. Everything is just a dream with Max Verstappen as a teammate.
