This coming Sunday, Formula 1 disputes the Mexican GP , at the Hermanos Rodríguez Autodrome . And the expectation of the local fans is a victory for Sergio Pérez , the ‘home’ rider. However, his Red Bull teammate Max Verstappen is not looking to make life easy for the Mexican.
Asked about the possibility of handing over the win to his teammate, the Dutchman responded harshly, if only half-jokingly. “I’m not Santa Claus to be giving presents,” Verstappen said, according to journalist Julianne Cerasoli , F1 producer for TV Bandeirantes.
Speaking to the press, the two-time world champion added that “Pérez is capable of winning the race by himself and it is more gratifying to win without help.”
Sergio Pérez is currently in third place in the drivers’ championship, fighting for second place against Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc. The Mexican has said that he prefers to win his race at home than to finish second in the championship, something that does not excite him too much.
Last season 2021 , the Mexican driver got on the podium, taking third position , behind his teammate, Max Verstappen, and the seven-time world champion, Lewis Hamilton, who took second place.
After finishing the race, Pérez wrote on social networks : “What a special day for my career! It is a day to keep it in our hearts and tell about it to our grandchildren. Thank you for so much love, you are the best! No one but you deserved this podium. Let’s go for more! Congratulations”
This year, Pérez is not only looking to get on the podium, but to achieve victory and be able to take the first place that his teammate took last season.
The activities on the track at the Hermanos Rodríguez begin this Friday, with the first two free practice sessions, one of them lasting one hour and the other with 30 more minutes to complete the second Pirelli test of the 2023 F1 tires.
