Overview
- Speaking on the Cracks/Oso Trava podcast, Pérez said “everything was a problem” at Red Bull, claiming tension arose whether he was faster or slower than Verstappen.
- Pérez said the car’s development increasingly suited Verstappen’s style, adding that early 2022 and 2023 felt competitive until updates shifted the balance away from him.
- He recounted telling Horner that replacing second drivers would exhaust Red Bull’s options, a warning echoed by the team’s subsequent churn through Liam Lawson, Yuki Tsunoda and now Isack Hadjar for 2026.
- The Mexican driver’s results peaked with P4 in 2021, P3 in 2022 and runner-up in 2023 before a poor 2024 led to his exit and a year out of F1 in 2025.
- Pérez returns in 2026 with Cadillac alongside Valtteri Bottas and also reflected on the 2022 Brazil team-orders flashpoint, describing Verstappen as mentally strong yet prone to flashes of temper in the car.