While the Mexican has never overtaken his two-time defending champion team-mate Max Verstappen in the standings this year, he closed to six points after winning the Azerbaijan Grand Prix in late April.
However, his performance prior to the summer break has been plagued by a streak of five consecutive failures to advance into Q3.
This has forced him to fight back in the races although, in the fastest car in 2023, he has not finished second to Verstappen in a full grand prix since the fifth round in Miami.
In an interview with Motorsport-Total.com, Marko stated that this difficult period has caused Perez to abandon his aspirations of winning the championship and instead concentrate on improving his performance.
The Austrian also reasserted Red Bull team principal Christian Horner’s assurances that Perez’s seat is not under threat as long as he sits second in the drivers’ championship.
Marko stated that there is a contractual agreement with Perez that extends until the conclusion of 2024. Additionally, Perez currently holds the second position in the world championship. Given these circumstances, there seems to be no urgency or necessity to take any further measures.
“He has now emerged from his dream of becoming a world champion. Perhaps this will aid him in refocusing on delivering the utmost performance.”
Marko stated that Verstappen’s intelligence is often overlooked and his exceptional skills make it highly unlikely for Perez to surpass him in the championship.
Marko expressed that Max is not given enough credit and is actually an outstanding driver. Marko highlighted Max’s impressive cognitive abilities, such as his ability to notice when Marko’s mobile phone rang on the radio during FP2 of the Spanish GP.
“He possesses exceptional talent and remarkable speed. Moreover, he is experiencing immense satisfaction and success, making it difficult for anyone to compare favorably to him. Verstappen sets an entirely new standard.”
Sergio Perez, Red Bull Racing RB19
Photo by: Sam Bloxham / Motorsport Images
Our interpretation is quite generous in expecting Perez to be within a range of three tenths [of a second] from Max, although at times it exceeded that.
“Perez currently holds the second position in the world championship, achieving the maximum possible outcome. He is currently fulfilling this accomplishment.”
Marko reckoned that Perez’s strength had never been with his one-lap pace – something he had identified during a late-2000s, early-2010s private evaluation alongside current AlphaTauri driver Daniel Ricciardo.
Regarding Perez, he mentioned, “He consistently performs excellently during races and exhibits impressive overtaking skills. However, his weakness lies in making errors during qualifying sessions.”
“I cannot reword”
Perez was absent during the qualifying session, although they were the fastest.
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