Checo Pérez on his Red Bull years with Verstappen: “If I was faster than Max, it was a problem; if I was slower, it was also a problem”

Sergio “Checo” Pérez has described being Max Verstappen’s teammate at Red Bull as “the worst job in Formula 1,” saying he faced a problem whether he was faster or slower than the Dutch driver.

Pérez made the comments in an interview with the YouTube channel Oso Trava, reflecting on his four seasons at Red Bull from 2021 through 2024. He said he understood from the start that he was joining a team built around one of the sport’s leading drivers.

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Just being Max’s teammate is difficult, but being Max’s teammate at Red Bull is the worst job there is in Formula 1.

“Just being Max’s teammate is difficult, but being Max’s teammate at Red Bull is the worst job there is in Formula 1,” Pérez said, laughing. He recalled that team principal Christian Horner told him early on: “We are going to race with two cars because we have to race with two cars, but this project was created for Max.” Pérez said he accepted that situation and intended to support the team while helping develop the car.

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We are going to race with two cars because we have to race with two cars, but this project was created for Max.

He said the difficulties became clear in early 2022. Pérez was faster than Verstappen in the simulator, and the car initially did not suit Verstappen as closely. That allowed Pérez to fight for the championship until upgrades arrived. “That’s when I started having problems because I no longer knew what the car was going to do in each corner,” he said. “I was thinking about not crashing. I didn’t have 100% control.”

Pérez said a similar pattern emerged at the beginning of 2023. Both drivers won two races early in the season, but after upgrades introduced at the Spanish Grand Prix, he was never again close to Verstappen across the season. “At Red Bull everything was a problem,” he said. “If I was faster than Max, it was a problem; if I was slower, it was also a problem.”

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That’s when I started having problems because I no longer knew what the car was going to do in each corner. I was thinking about not crashing. I didn’t have 100% control.

Despite the tensions, Pérez highlighted his role in the 2021 title fight. His defense against Lewis Hamilton in the decisive final-lap battle helped Verstappen secure his first championship and earned Pérez the nickname “Minister of Defense.”

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At Red Bull everything was a problem. If I was faster than Max, it was a problem; if I was slower, it was also a problem.