Sergio Perez: Being Faster Than Max Verstappen at Red Bull 'Was a Problem'

Sergio Perez has revealed the impossible reality of being Max Verstappen's teammate at Red Bull, claiming that outperforming the four-time world champion was treated as a 'problem' within the team. In a candid interview, Perez described a dysfunctional environment where he was set up to fail, regardless of his pace on track. His account paints a picture of a team so entirely built around its star driver that any deviation from the script created immense internal tension.

Why it matters:

Perez's explosive comments go beyond personal grievance and offer a rare, unfiltered look into the internal culture of Formula 1's dominant team. It provides a compelling explanation for his dramatic performance collapse in 2024 and raises serious questions about Red Bull's long-term sustainability and its treatment of a driver who helped secure two constructors' championships.

The details:

• A 'Project for Max': Perez said team principal Christian Horner told him from the very beginning: "This project has been created for Max. Max is our talent," establishing a clear and unchangeable hierarchy.
• The 2022 Anomaly: Perez recalls a brief period in 2022 when the car's characteristics, born from a "mistake" in its design, suited his driving style perfectly. He was faster than Verstappen in the simulator and genuinely believed he could fight for the championship.
• The Upgrade Cycle: According to Perez, his competitive window closed as soon as Red Bull brought upgrades that shifted the car's development back towards Verstappen's preferences. This led to a sudden loss of confidence and control, triggering a series of crashes.
• The Barcelona Turning Point: In 2023, after a stretch where he and Verstappen traded wins, a major upgrade package in Barcelona instantly made Perez "a second per lap slower," plunging him back into a spiral of pressure and poor performance.
• A No-Win Scenario: Perez concluded that at Red Bull, "everything was a problem." "If I was very fast, it was a problem... If I was faster than Max, it was a problem. And if I was slower than Max, it was a problem."

Between the lines:

Perez's narrative validates long-standing suspicions that Red Bull operates as a single-driver team, regardless of its official two-car structure. The psychological pressure of being in a system where success for the #2 driver is seen as a disruption likely contributed significantly to his on-track struggles and high-profile errors. This isn't just a story about a driver who couldn't handle the pressure; it's a story about a team culture that may have actively undermined him.