Max Verstappen has proclaimed that Sergio Perez is “not an idiot” as his Red Bull team-mate’s place hangs in the balance amid a tumultuous 2024 Formula 1 season.
Perez is set to discover this week whether he will retain his drive in 2025 as Red Bull bosses meet to discuss the driver line-up at the senior team and sister squad RB.
The Mexican’s catastrophic campaign ended with more disappointment in Abu Dhabi as a retirement condemned him to a third point-less return in the past five races.
READ MORE – Sergio Perez: Red Bull F1 future will be decided in the ‘coming days’
Perez languishing a considerable 275 points behind Verstappen, who won the Drivers’ title, contributed to Red Bull slipping to third in the Constructors’ Championship.
The expectation is that Perez will lose the seat that he’s held since 2021, with RB driver Liam Lawson recognised as the leading candidate to replace him next season.
Asked whether he is anticipating a new team-mate in 2025, Verstappen told media including Motorsport Week in Abu Dhabi: “I don’t know. This is up to the team.
“I always worked really well with Checo. He’s a great guy, honestly.
“It’s very rare that you have a team-mate like him, who has always been very good and just a nice guy.”
Red Bull decline has impacted Perez
Perez’s season began on a promising note as he clinched four podiums in the opening five races, but he has not appeared on the rostrum once since that strong start.
The six-time race winner’s results deteriorated at an alarming rate when Red Bull’s competitiveness dropped as he contributed a pitiful 21 points in the last 11 rounds.
Verstappen, who has been vocal about Red Bull’s persistent balance woes, has admitted the RB20’s narrow operating window had a greater impact on his team-mate.
Questioned on whether he believes Perez has suffered with the problems Red Bull has encountered in 2024, Verstappen replied: “I think so.”
Verstappen defends Perez against criticism
Verstappen, however, has contended that Red Bull’s troubles have made Perez out to be a worse driver than he is and exposed him to unwarranted criticism this term.
He added: “I work with him every weekend, week in, week out. I find people have been very harsh on him.
“Of course, some weekends maybe could have been better, actually. But sometimes people have been very harsh on him because he’s not an idiot.
“He’s always been regarded as a great driver. It’s been tough, but it’s been tough for everyone in the team, because sometimes it was very difficult to drive.”
READ MORE – Red Bull to discuss ‘appropriate way forward’ with Sergio Perez
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