How things really stand between Red Bull drivers Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez, and why Verstappen is traveling with bodyguards in Mexico
He “didn’t sense any hostility” when he arrived in Mexico, says Red Bull sports chief Helmut Marko on Sky. And with that, the exact opposite of what some had feared has come to pass: That negative sentiment could be made against the team and Max Verstappen on the ground simply because Verstappen is superior to his Mexican stablemate Sergio Perez.
And Verstappen makes one thing clear ahead of the 2023 Mexico Grand Prix in Mexico City: there would be no rivalry between him and Perez. “That’s made up,” Verstappen says when asked about it.
“Checo and I get along really well. Of course: as a driver you always want to be first or faster on the track, but we always have a lot of respect for each other. We appreciate each other’s performance.”
The fact that as an athlete, especially a successful one, you’re not liked by everyone is understandable, he said. Likewise, it’s “fine if you support your favorite driver,” Verstappen says. “But you also have to respect the competition [as a fan], and not just in Formula 1, but in any sport.” In this regard, he says, there is generally room for improvement.
Why Verstappen doesn’t respond to booing
Verstappen experienced this himself just a few days ago at the USA Grand Prix: the world champion was booed by some fans.
But Verstappen leaves such reactions cold: “I’m always neutral, whether I win or lose. That works best for me. I’m here to win, to perform. And as long as I can say I did my best and I’m standing there with the trophy, then that’s it for me. That’s the most important thing to me.”
Verstappen says he stays away from biting comments on the Internet anyway because he “fortunately spends very little time on social networks.” That’s because he considers them “toxic places” and says, “People don’t even have to show their true colors there, and they can say what they want.”
“But as I said, it’s not just in our sport. Many sports have the same problem. In my opinion, there needs to be much better regulation of what you can say, do or write there. “
Perez’s perspective
So it’s all just artificially inflated? That’s how Perez sees it, too, but he sees the media as responsible for a portrayal that doesn’t correspond to the truth. For example, he says, they “like to create such a rivalry off the racetrack,” even though such a rivalry – like the one between him and Verstappen – doesn’t actually exist.
“Formula 1 is a great sport, with a role model function for the younger generation. So we should focus on the sporting aspects,” Perez says. “Whatever happens on the track should always be on the track. That’s the best message we can send to the world as a country. Otherwise, there’s nothing there.”
“Of course we are opponents, but at the same time we are athletes. Everyone wants to achieve the best for themselves,” Perez explains, adding, “Max and I drive for the same team, we both want to win. We both give our best. So I don’t think there should be any rivalry there. “
“One example: When I fight with Fernando in the race, he’s not a rival for me off the track. We just fight on the track. But as I said, the press makes it a rivalry off the track. I don’t think that’s right. And it’s important that the fans understand that.”
That’s why the organizers of the Mexico Grand Prix have launched a campaign to that effect, to make the Mexican public aware of the need for peaceful and fair coexistence at the race.
Verstappen feels “very safe” in Mexico
Verstappen and for example also Lewis Hamilton are in Mexico nevertheless with security personnel on the spot. Two bodyguards at once accompany Verstappen at every turn.
“Why not?” says Verstappen. “Yes, I have a bit more security around me here. There are just some countries where it’s very stressful, even here in the paddock.”
“The security just helps to make things a bit calmer on and off the track, the way to the hotel and things like that.” That’s sometimes necessary, “if you feel it helps the weekend flow,” Verstappen says. He feels “very confident” in Mexico, though.
