Former F1 champion: Perez's strong performance 'worrying' for Verstappen

Two-time Formula 1 World Champion, Emerson Fittipaldi, believes Sergio Perez's recent form will "worry" Max Verstappen.

The Mexican has won two out of the four races so far in the 2023 season, both of them coming on street circuits in Saudi Arabia and Azerbaijan.

With just six points between Perez and Verstappen in the Drivers Championship, Fittipaldi believes that Perez's consistency will enable him to mount a credible challenge to Verstappen's title.

"I’m sure Max is starting to get worried. It showed in Baku, to me, the last 20 laps, that Checo was really driving it to the limit as well as Max. And Max could not reduce the gap," he told MyBettingSites.

“They’re really working hard and Checo did a fantastic job. Very difficult track. You’re only a few centimetres from the wall on just about every corner. You have to be very precise and confident and Checo proved that.”

Fittipaldi: Miami and Monaco are two tracks Perez is strong at

Both of the wins for Perez have come on street circuits, a track layout which Verstappen admitted he favours less.

With the next race in Miami and Monaco also upcoming in May, these could be key circuits where the Mexican excels, according to Fittipaldi.

He added: “We’re in Miami and soon we’ll be in Monaco – two tracks that Checo could be very fast. There will be a lot of competition between Max and Checo in Miami. Checo has a good chance to win.

“If he wins again, he’ll make Max very concerned. Max will think that he’s there and he’s very strong. It will be very interesting.”