Max Verstappen wouldn’t make it out of Q1 in Sergio Perez’s car, according to Checo’s dad

Father of former Red Bull racer Sergio Perez, Antonio Perez Garibay, recently claimed that Max Verstappen's #1 RB20 had an undue advantage over his son's #11 RB20. His comments come in light of the Mexican racer being dropped after an underwhelming Formula 1 season in 2024.

Sergio Perez finished eighth in the championship table without a win, as Max Verstappen won his fourth consecutive F1 title. This led the Red Bull team to replace him with Liam Lawson for the 2025 season, ending his four-year stint with the team. Lawson has also been sent back to the Racing Bulls team after two races this season, as Yuki Tsunoda will start beside Verstappen, driving the #22 RB21.

Garibay expressed his concerns regarding the difference between the two cars while speaking in the Fórmula de Dos podcast. He claimed that Verstappen would also struggle to make it through the first round of qualifying in his son's #11 RB 20. He said:

"What I am about to say will cause a lot of commotion, but the car with number 1 (Verstappen) was not the same as the car with number 11 (Perez). And if you were to put the driver of car 1 in car 11, he won't get out of Q1 in qualifying either and he won't pass the car with number 1. If you put the driver from car 1 in car 11, he doesn't do any better. So it does lie with the car. The cars were not the same." (54:38 onwards)

While raising speculation about more news to be broken soon, Garibay suggested that the two Red Bull cars are fundamentally different from each other. He highlighted that this helped Max Verstappen perform better at Red Bull for the past decade, which has seen him drive with six different drivers in the last six years.

Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez after the F1 Sprint at Miami International Autodrome- Source: Imagn

He also pointed to the same car issues that led to Lawson being demoted, which has raised questions on whether Red Bull fields two unequal cars in Formula 1. He added:

"I hope things are different today and that in Japan Yuki has the best car Red Bull can give him. They cannot disappoint the Japanese fans, they have to give Yuki the best means to fight. And so he has to have the same car." (55:09 onwards)

He hopes that in Tsunoda's first race with Red Bull in the Japanese Grand Prix, he gets an equal car and doesn't face any discrimination.

Max Verstappen believes the Red Bull's new livery 'looks cool'

While his former teammate's father has made some bold claims about him, Max Verstappen remains focused on the Japanese Grand Prix at the Suzuka Circuit. The third race of the 2025 Formula 1 season will be his first partnering Yuki Tsunoda, and Verstappen is excited about the prospect. He said via Pitpass.com:

"Of course, it is Yuki’s first race with the team in front of his home crowd so it will be a busy race to welcome him to the team. We have a special white Japan livery this week that is a tribute to Honda, which looks cool, and I am also racing in my white Japan helmet, inspired by the livery."

The defending champion is eight points behind leader McLaren's Lando Norris in the drivers' standings and looks to close the gap this weekend at the Suzuka International Circuit.

As Max Verstappen looks ahead to this season, Garibay's comments have stirred an online debate about Red Bull management. Perez has recently expressed his willingness to return to F1 if motivated by the right project, it remains to be seen which team goes for the 35-year-old in 2026.