Sergio Pérez admits Max Verstappen is a very ‘complete’ driver, and his 2021 season has already made him a ‘legend’ in Formula 1 despite still being only twenty-four years of age.
Verstappen took ten victories, ten pole positions and six fastest laps on his way to the title, while his record of finishing on the podium in eighteen of the twenty-two races was a new Formula 1 record.
Pérez was team-mate to Verstappen at Red Bull Racing as the Dutchman claimed his maiden World Drivers’ Championship in 2021, and the Mexican feels he has very few shortfalls in his driving, if any.
“He’s really good. He’s really at one with the car. He’s very good in qualifying, he’s really good at the races,” said Perez to Motorsport.com.
“He’s very complete, experienced. I mean, the season he has done I think it’s been legend, you know, it’s really impressive, and big praise to him. He’s really at one with the car.”
Pérez says he takes satisfaction from Verstappen winning the Drivers’ title in 2021, and he has praised the Dutchman for being a ‘fantastic’ team-mate to him during his first year with Red Bull.
The Mexican moved to Red Bull after leaving the BWT Racing Point Formula One Team at the end of 2020, and he took a win in Azerbaijan as well as four other podium finishes on his way to fourth in the Drivers’ championship.
However, there was disappointment that the team missed out by a narrow margin to the Mercedes-AMG Petronas Formula One Team in claiming the Constructors’ Championship, but he hopes that he and Verstappen can go one better in that department in 2022.
“Honestly it does, because Max has been a great team mate since day one to me, and the team has been fantastic to me,” Pérez said when asked if Verstappen’s title meant something to him. “And I was in a position to support my team mate.
“I’m extremely happy for everyone. You know, it’s a shame at the end, we didn’t get the constructors’, but I think it was just a couple of points at the end. And some bad luck here and there. But I look forward to next year.”