Max Verstappen Defends Perez Amid Team Issues

Verstappen Stands Firm: “It’s Our F1 Fault Too”

19/07/2024

Max Verstappen publicly backs Perez, stating the challenges in F1 are a team issue, not just individual setbacks.

Recently, Max Verstappen has been riding solo in defending Red Bull Racing at the constructors’ championship.

However, the Dutchman, who is no longer winning every Grand Prix, won’t be able to fight alone for long against the resurgence of McLaren F1 or Mercedes.

Asked about the difficulty of battling these two teams without Perez by his side, Verstappen replied in Hungary: “I wouldn’t put it that way because in the end, we are teammates and we always try to give our feedback on the car, and that’s what Checo has done, so he has fully contributed to that.”

The Dutchman defended his teammate after his disastrous weekend at Silverstone and is also defending him in Hungary.

“Of course, we cannot deny that the last few weeks have been somewhat unlucky for Checo, especially in qualifying at Silverstone. Then, you have to start from the back of the grid and especially in a race like that, it’s very difficult to make progress.”

He therefore disagrees with the criticisms aimed at Perez, who, according to him, is also a victim of a harder-to-drive F1 than before.

“I think he wants to do better, I know he’s working very hard. He takes nothing for granted or anything, right? I hope that here, when the car may fit a bit better to his driving, that everything will seem a bit more connected, it might work a bit better for him.”

“Our F1 was a bit tricky here and there, on Fridays we were always looking for balance and as a driver, it is also very difficult to be consistent. You always have to deal with different types of balance issues, so it’s not entirely fair to say that it’s all his fault.”

“Even for me, the last few weekends have been very difficult to get the most out of the car, and the team knows it.”

What are Perez’s issues according to Verstappen?

“It wouldn’t help to mention it in public, but he knows. I don’t need to tell him. It’s natural, but I feel like he’s giving everything. And that’s all you can do. And getting tense or stressed about it isn’t going to improve the situation either. We just work as a team and everyone is always very involved. Everyone wants to help each other to improve.”

As a result, Verstappen explains that he does not speak privately to Perez about his situation.

“We just talk about what we can control and that is, of course, our influence. And that’s the car. We want to have a faster and easier-to-drive car.”

Max Verstappen Defends Perez Amid Team Issues

Max Verstappen Defends Perez Amid Team Issues Max Verstappen Defends Perez Amid Team Issues

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