Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez

...

Alex Harrington

By Alex Harrington

Sports Contributing Writer

0

Share

Newsweek is a Trust Project member

See more of our trusted coverage when you search.Prefer Newsweek on Googleto see more of our trusted coverage when you search.

The 2024 Formula One season hasn't been kind to Red Bull, and the departure of Sergio Perez after four seasons marks a big change in the team. Max Verstappen, Perez's teammate, has been vocal about supporting Perez amid criticisms of his performance.

Verstappen stressed that the team's inability to meet expectations in the constructors' championship was a shared issue, not just Perez's fault. Both Verstappen and Perez faced difficulties with their Milton Keynes machinery, which made it a very difficult season for the drivers.

Max Verstappen made it clear:

Read More on Racing

"That has of course failed miserably for us." He highlighted the shared struggles with the car.

Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez

...

"On the one hand, it was of course difficult for Checo, and I think it wasn't always his fault. We also had a very difficult car at that time. You can also play it on that. I don't want to criticize him, and I can also clearly say that it wasn't all his fault, about how things went wrong."

Verstappen elaborated:

"The biggest problem we had this season was that the car didn't work. Of course, I know Checo's driving style. The car we had at one point was very difficult to drive. That was also the case for me, and that just doesn't help. We should have started working on that sooner because that would have helped him a lot too."

At the onset of the season, the Mexican driver performed well, securing second and third-place finishes consistently. However, ongoing car issues affected his confidence.

"At the start of the season he was just in second or third place, so that was fine. At a certain point, it was very difficult," Verstappen admitted. "Then confidence takes a hit and some people are more sensitive to that than others. I don't think we did that as a team either."

Perez's challenges resulted in a huge points deficit for the team, undermining their championship goals. And following the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, Perez's departure became official. His role in the team, which began in 2021, comes to a close as Red Bull aims to restructure its driver pairing.

They have introduced Liam Lawson as Perez's replacement.

Will the new addition help steer the team back to its former glory, or will further adjustments be needed?

2025 Formula One Season Schedule

Pre-Season Testing

Australia

China

Japan

Bahrain

Saudi Arabia

Miami

Emilia-Romagna

Monaco

Spain

Canada

Austria

Great Britain

Belgium

Hungary

Netherlands

Italy

Azerbaijan

Singapore

United States

Mexico

Brazil

Las Vegas

Qatar

Abu Dhabi

View 0 Comments

Request Reprint & Licensing

Submit Correction

View Editorial & AI Guidelines