Max Verstappen has made a brutal assessment over where his team-mate Sergio Perez will finish in the 2024 championship.
He has consistently outperformed Perez whilst they have been partnered together at Red Bull, winning three consecutive world championship titles while Perez has claimed just five race victories.
The gulf in their performance was exposed during the 2023 season, when the Mexican was struggling to finish second behind Verstappen, let alone compete for a championship.
Red Bull mounted pressure on Perez by welcoming former driver Daniel Ricciardo back into the team via sister outfit Visa Cash App RB, with suggestions he could replace Perez if he did not improve.
Max Verstappen team-mate is ‘not a problem’
Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz will be without a race seat in 2025, and his recent performances have made him a desirable candidate for top teams such as Red Bull.
Until recently it was believed Fernando Alonso was also pushing for a move to the team, however, the Spanish driver has recently signed a contract with Aston Martin until 2026, meaning Perez’s position is safe for now.
Despite these rumours, championship leader Max Verstappen has displayed little interest in who will race alongside him. In an interview with Viaplay, Verstappen revealed that he does not care who his team-mate is heading into the future.
He also made a brutal assessment on Perez’s chances of competing with him this season.
“At the end of the championship he [Perez] will finish behind,” he said according to Corriere dello Sport.
“So who will be my partner is not a problem that takes away my concentration. To tell the truth, I honestly don’t think about it at all.”
