With six races to go until the end of the season, Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez are separated by 177 points. 1996 World Champion Damon Hill believes that when Red Bull Racing faces greater competition in the future, Perez cannot afford to be so far behind his teammate.
Damon Hill: “In Japan something went wrong for Perez and he had problems in the first corner. I think he felt disappointed afterward, which only made his situation worse. The attempt to overtake Magnussen was a gesture of desperation – Sergio was probably upset by the situation he found himself in.
He won’t be able to afford to perform like that when his team faces more serious competition. I think Red Bull really wants Max to have a stronger teammate, but they also know that Max is out of reach for many drivers.
Remember the times when Michael Schumacher dominated Ferrari and no one could handle the number two role? I remember Ross Brawn saying to Eddie Irvine, ‘Look, you can’t beat him. Just do your best.” To a racer, such words sound like an abomination.
If you are not Senna, Hamilton, Verstappen, Fangio or Clark, there will always be a driver who is better than you. These riders are almost impossible to beat and all you can do is close the gap and work in the interest of the team.”
Source: F1 News
I am Christopher Clyde, an experienced journalist and content writer with a passion for sports. I have been writing about Formula 1 news for the past five years and am currently employed as an author at athletistic.com, one of the top sports websites in the US.
