Motorsport Week
  • Formula 1
    • 2023 Formula 1 Calendar
    • 2023 Formula 1 Standings
    • 2023 Formula 1 Driver Line-Up
    • 2023 Formula 1 Driver Penalty Points
    • 2024 Formula 1 Driver Line-Up
  • Formula E
    • 2022/23 Formula E Standings
    • 2022/23 Formula E Calendar
    • 2022/23 Formula E Team/Driver Line-up
  • IndyCar
    • 2023 IndyCar Calendar
    • 2023 IndyCar Driver Line-Up
    • 2023 IndyCar Standings
  • WRC
    • 2023 WRC Calendar
    • 2023 WRC Standings
    • 2023 WRC Driver Line-up
  • MotoGP
    • 2023 MotoGP Calendar
    • 2023 MotoGP Team/Rider Line-Up
    • 2023 MotoGP Standings
  • WEC
    • 2023 WEC Calendar
    • 2023 WEC Hypercar Team/Driver Line-up
  • More
    • IMSA
      • 2023 IMSA GTP Team/Driver Line-up
      • 2023 IMSA Calendar
    • Formula 2
      • 2023 Formula 2 Race Calendar
      • 2023 Formula 2 Driver Line-up
    • Formula 3
      • 2023 Formula 3 Race Calendar
      • 2023 Formula 3 Driver Line-up
    • DTM
    • WSeries
    • Technical Insight
    • Galleries
    • About/Contact
    • Privacy Policy
LIVE
No Result
View All Result
  • Formula 1
    • 2023 Formula 1 Calendar
    • 2023 Formula 1 Standings
    • 2023 Formula 1 Driver Line-Up
    • 2023 Formula 1 Driver Penalty Points
    • 2024 Formula 1 Driver Line-Up
  • Formula E
    • 2022/23 Formula E Standings
    • 2022/23 Formula E Calendar
    • 2022/23 Formula E Team/Driver Line-up
  • IndyCar
    • 2023 IndyCar Calendar
    • 2023 IndyCar Driver Line-Up
    • 2023 IndyCar Standings
  • WRC
    • 2023 WRC Calendar
    • 2023 WRC Standings
    • 2023 WRC Driver Line-up
  • MotoGP
    • 2023 MotoGP Calendar
    • 2023 MotoGP Team/Rider Line-Up
    • 2023 MotoGP Standings
  • WEC
    • 2023 WEC Calendar
    • 2023 WEC Hypercar Team/Driver Line-up
  • More
    • IMSA
      • 2023 IMSA GTP Team/Driver Line-up
      • 2023 IMSA Calendar
    • Formula 2
      • 2023 Formula 2 Race Calendar
      • 2023 Formula 2 Driver Line-up
    • Formula 3
      • 2023 Formula 3 Race Calendar
      • 2023 Formula 3 Driver Line-up
    • DTM
    • WSeries
    • Technical Insight
    • Galleries
    • About/Contact
    • Privacy Policy
No Result
View All Result
Motorsport Week
Home Single Seater Formula 1

Hakkinen calls on Perez to be ‘realistic’ over beating Verstappen

by Fergal Walsh
3 months ago
A A
0
Hakkinen calls on Perez to be ‘realistic’ over beating Verstappen
Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

Two-time Formula 1 World Champion Mika Hakkinen says Sergio Perez must stay realistic with his hopes to beat Max Verstappen at Red Bull.

Verstappen has enjoyed a highly successful stint with Red Bull across the last two years, winning back-to-back F1 titles.

Verstappen convincingly out-paced Perez in 2021 and 2022, but the latter has set his sights on improving his form for the 2023 campaign and challenge race race victories at every event.

However, Hakkinen has backed Verstappen to get even stronger during the year ahead, believing an unreliable car is the only hurdle standing in the way of his third title. 

RelatedPosts

Piquet loses appeal to overturn $950k fine for Hamilton remark

Piquet loses appeal to overturn $950k fine for Hamilton remark

4 hours ago
Horner close to trading Red Bull for Ferrari in 2022, claims Marko

Horner close to trading Red Bull for Ferrari in 2022, claims Marko

5 hours ago

“Max Verstappen is a very strong driver, that’s obvious,” Hakkinen told Unibet. “He always has been. 

“He’s worked hard to become the driver he is today. Is there currently someone faster than him on the track? I doubt it. I don’t think there is. 

“The championships have reinforced his self-confidence. He knows better how to prepare for the season. He’s still young. 

“The team knows what he can do, the team believes in him 100 per cent. His talent will further develop, it won’t go backwards, it develops. 

“Now it only comes down to one thing – if the team fails in their technical development, making the car unreliable and not being able to score points. 

“That’s when the other teams can get the upper hand. That’s the only thing stopping them.”

Perez famously played a major team role during the 2021 season to help deliver Verstappen his first title, which included holding up Lewis Hamilton at the finale in Abu Dhabi.

Having bowed to Red Bull’s wishes at times during the first two years at the team, Hakkinen says that he must concede that he won’t be able to best Verstappen during their stint as team-mates.

“Perez is a good team-mate” Hakkinen said. “He’s allowed to be the naughty one. He seems to be very obedient. 

“What I mean by being naughty is that sometimes the team asks him to do things, such as slowing others down. Sergio doesn’t care. He’ll slow them down, if the team wants. 

“Whether it’s the qualifying or the race, he’ll do what he’s asked to do. I think it’s dirty, but if it works, it works. 

“It’s a question of one’s image, though. But that’s how it goes sometimes. You won’t get that far unless you think you’re fast.

“But when you have a team-mate like Max, you need to be realistic and look in the mirror. You need to admit you can’t beat Max. 

“It takes something almost supernatural to beat Max. Perez will be second, there’s no question about it.”

Tags: F1HakkinenPerezRedBullVerstappen
Share816Tweet510

Related Posts

Piquet loses appeal to overturn $950k fine for Hamilton remark
Formula 1

Piquet loses appeal to overturn $950k fine for Hamilton remark

4 hours ago
Horner close to trading Red Bull for Ferrari in 2022, claims Marko
Formula 1

Horner close to trading Red Bull for Ferrari in 2022, claims Marko

5 hours ago
Motorsport Week’s F1 2023 Spanish GP Driver Ratings
Feature

Motorsport Week’s F1 2023 Spanish GP Driver Ratings

7 hours ago
Load More

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Popular Articles

Marko: Perez getting a ‘wake-up call’ at Red Bull
Formula 1

Marko: Perez getting a ‘wake-up call’ at Red Bull

June 4, 2023
Leclerc: Every driver would like Hamilton as F1 team-mate
Formula 1

Leclerc: Every driver would like Hamilton as F1 team-mate

June 1, 2023

Upcoming Races

#EventLocationDate
8Spanish GPBarcelona04 June
9Canadian GPMontreal18 June
10Austrian GPSpielberg02 July
11British GPSilverstone09 July
12Hungarian GPBudapest23 July

Click here for the full 2023 F1 calendar

Drivers’  Standings

#DriverPts
Max Verstappen170
Sergio Perez117
Fernando Alonso99
Lewis Hamilton87
George Russell65
Carlos Sainz58
Charles Leclerc42
Lance Stroll35
Esteban Ocon26
Pierre Gasly15

Click here for full Drivers’ Standings

Follow Motorsport Week

Motorsport Week

© 2023 Motorsport Media Services Ltd

Other Links

  • About & Contact
  • Privacy Policy
  • Motorsport Monday

Follow Us

No Result
View All Result
  • Login
  • Sign Up
  • Home
  • Formula 1
    • Latest News
    • Championship Standings
    • 2023 F1 Calendar
    • Team/Driver Line-Up
    • Session Results
    • Driver Penalty Points
  • Formula E
    • Latest News
    • 2022/23 Formula E Standings
    • 2022/23 Formula E Calendar
    • Session Results
  • MotoGP
    • Latest News
    • Standings
    • Calendar
  • WRC
    • Latest News
    • Standings
    • Calendar
  • IndyCar
    • Latest News
    • Calendar
    • Standings
  • WEC
    • Latest News
    • Calendar
  • Live Updates
  • Other
    • Formula 2
    • Formula 3
    • Moto2
    • Moto3
    • WSeries
    • DTM
    • IMSA
  • Galleries
  • About/Contact
  • Privacy Policy

© 2023 Motorsport Media Services Ltd

Welcome Back!

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password? Sign Up

Create New Account!

Fill the forms below to register

All fields are required. Log In

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In
X