"He's not anymore a shadow" - Red Bull's Sergio Perez will give a 'hard time' to Max Verstappen in 2022 F1 season, claims former world champion

Sergio Perez has what it takes to be a disruptive force who can give Max Verstappen a hard time in the ongoing 2022 F1 season, according to former F1 world champion Emerson Fittipaldi.

The Mexican started the season strong with a pole position in Saudi Arabia and three P2 finishes in Melbourne, Imola, and Barcelona before a spectacular win at the 2022 F1 Monaco GP. This was followed by the news that Red Bull had chosen to extend Perez's contract with the team until the end of 2024.

Since his win in Monte Carlo, Sergio Perez has struggled a fair bit and failed to finish two of the last four races, denting his hopes of mounting a serious title challenge.

Emerson Fittipaldi believes that despite his shortcomings in Canada and Austria, Sergio Perez can still provide a stiff challenge to Max Verstappen in the final 11 races of the season.

Speaking in an interview with VegasInsider ahead of the 2022 F1 French GP weekend, the Brazilian said:

“I’m sure both Max Verstappen and Checo Perez will be strong contenders. In my opinion, Perez, he is growing, he’s getting more self-confidence, he’s getting stronger and stronger on every Grand Prix. If his mindset this weekend is fixed to win, he has the talent, he has the speed to win.’’

Fittipaldi, who raced in F1 from 1970 to 1980 and won two world titles in 1972 and 1974 with Lotus and McLaren, respectively, went on to add:

“I think he’s going to give a hard time to Max from now on. I have this feeling because he’s extremely self-confident now. He knows he has the talent, the speed and he’s not anymore a shadow to Max. He’s reality. He’s there. He’s a contender, he’s strong.’’

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Sergio Perez is the 'perfect' teammate to Max Verstappen, claims Dr. Helmut Marko

Sergio Perez is the perfect teammate for Max Verstappen at Red Bull, according to Dr. Helmut Marko.

The veteran Austrian driver is an advisor to the Red Bull F1 team and is also the person helming its junior program with drivers in lower formulae.

Marko was the one who saw the rise of Sebastian Vettel and Daniel Ricciardo at Red Bull before the eventual arrival of a teenage Max Verstappen. The prodigy's talents were such that other drivers found it difficult to either coexist with the Dutchman or measure up to him.

Ricciardo left for Renault in 2019, making way for Pierre Gasly, who stepped aside for Alex Albon six months into his tenure, with the latter also failing to meet the team's expectations during his 18 months as a Red Bull driver. That is when Marko and Red Bull chose to change their approach by entering the driver market as opposed to promoting from within.

In an interview with the Red Bull Bulletin, the 79-year-old looked back on the decision to sign 'Checo' Perez after the Mexican was left without a drive at Racing Point (now Aston Martin F1). He said:

“Max [Verstappen] can drive any car fast. That’s why having Sergio Pérez as his teammate is perfect. Checo doesn’t try to fight but does everything he can, and that can lead to victory as it did in Baku last season. The two work very well together.”

The truth behind Marko's assessment can be easily deduced from the stats. Red Bull has had more wins, podium places, and overall points with the current Max Verstappen-Sergio Perez partnership than they ever did with either Ricciardo, Gasly, or Albon.

With Perez, Red Bull has finally managed to get a driver who can perform close to Verstappen's level without crumbling under the pressure that comes with the territory.