Antonio Perez, father of Red Bull driver Sergio, has stated that everything at the Milton Keynes-based squad is built around Max Verstappen. Verstappen has enjoyed the current campaign and is en route to a third World Championship - a feat he can achieve at the next round from Qatar. Perez started the season with two race wins in the opening four races but he has since struggled for form alongside Verstappen, who recorded a record-breaking 10 wins in a row between Miami and Italy. The Dutchman has consistently outpaced Perez since the latter joined the team in 2021, with Perez struggling to adapt to the demands of the Red Bull with a driving style that is vastly different to Perez's. Perez Senior has asserted that this is because the car is focused around Verstappen.
‘Any brand would be happy to have Perez’
“Everything is built around Max, he [Perez] has to respect that,” Perez senior told Mexican Esto. "The car is tuned for Max, who likes to have a lot of grip at the front of the car. "Checo prefers grip at the back, but so he has to drive a car that is tailor-made for Max." The two drivers are different in there driving styles, with Verstappen preferring a pointy car 'on the nose' that turns in sharply and can deal with a loose rear-end. As for Perez, he needs more grip coming from the rear of the car, but Red Bull has rubbished claims that the car was designed around Verstappen's needs - with Christian Horner firm that the fastest possible car has been built - and it is just Verstappen who can handle it better. Despite his challenging form this year, Perez still sits second in the Drivers’ Championship, which would mark his career-best finish. He is 33 points ahead of third-placed Lewis Hamilton with six rounds remaining in the campaign as of the Japanese Grand Prix, and is set to remain with the team for 2024. Beyond that, Perez's future with Red Bull remains uncertain, but his father is sure that any team would be happy to have his son due to his marketability. "Checo is second [in the standings] and that is exactly the position he was hired for at Red Bull," he said. "There is only room for one World Champion. "He has huge fans all over the world and is the only driver from Latin America. Any brand in the world would be happy with him."
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