Formula 1: With four rounds of the 2023 F1 championship done and under the belt, Red Bull has come out way ahead of the rest of the grid. Max Verstappen is leading the title battle with 93 points to his name. However, close behind his teammate Sergio Perez as 6 points separate the two of them. Checo had a massively dominant outing at Baku with wins to his name both on Saturday and Sunday. The Mexican minister of defense, as fans fondly call Perez, has established himself as the king of the street circuit, as 5 of his 6 career wins came on street circuit.
Verstappen won the two of first three races taking a healthy advantage over his teammate. However, Checo slashed the margin and now stands at the neck of the Dutchman in the title fight. Though early in the season, Perez seems much more promising compared to the last two seasons. Earlier, he was more or less seen as a wingman to the Dutch driver.
When asked to Verstappen about it, he had a rather calm stance on this internal Red Bull rivalry. The Milton Keynes team was miles in front of everyone during the pre-season testing, and they are only taking that momentum up and forward. However, this seems to be the first time around when Max is having a go from a teammate.
Max Verstappen open up about championship rivalry with teammate Perez
The Dutchman in a career form and nothing short of a win satisfies him. He is looking to defend his crown and entering the prestigious club of three-time world champion. However, at this point, only contention in his superiority on the track is back to back successful outing of teammate Perez. Verstappen recently opened up about it in an interview, in a rather positive manner. He is confident of the cordial relationship they share, and the impact it has on the success of the team. Follow InsideSport on GOOGLE NEWS / Follow Formula 1 Updates with InsideSport.IN.
“Between us we have a good understanding, a good relationship. I think what we want to focus on is just to try and make the car better and faster, to try and stay ahead of everyone else. That’s the main objective and then the rest you will do on the track anyway,” said the Dutchman as reported by F1.com.
Perez is aiming to win races and keep Max under pressure
Over the last few races, Perez has established himself as a force to reckon with. Though supplemented by a good car, his talent as a racing driver is out there for everyone to witness. On asking about his approach towards title win this year, he had a rather straightforward answer. “By winning races – pretty simple. It’s just by winning races and keeping Max under pressure,” remarked the Mexican driver.
As the circuit moves to USA for the second edition of Miami Grand Prix, Red Bull fans are again hoping for a two horse race this weekend. However, it will be interesting to see who comes out on the top for the Milton Keynes team. If Perez takes on the win, he will lead the championship, a first for him. Meanwhile, Max would be looking to capitalise on his chances and gaining a substantial lead in the championship.
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