In the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, if it wasn’t for Perez’s defence, Verstappen probably would not have become the new Formula One world champion
In 2021, the world of Formula One got a new world champion; Red Bull Honda’s Max Verstappen. The young racer won his maiden F1 title and also became the first-ever Dutch racer to win an F1 championship. For the achievement, all the credit must go to him. However, behind his success, there is a man who deserves a bit of credit. His name is Sergio Perez (Checo).
Why is this article worth your time?
The world has acknowledged and appreciated Max Verstappen’s heroics throughout the season. Not to forget, he is the 2021 world champion and for becoming that; he is getting all the love and credit. However, not much is being said about Perez and how he handled Hamilton in the last race. To a great extent, it was Perez’s defence that helped Max win the title.
How did Perez help Verstappen win the title?
In the last race at one stage, Verstappen was far from Hamilton and Perez. Perez was ahead of Hamilton but with heavily worn tyres whereas Hamilton had fresh slicks. Irrespective of the disadvantage, Perez kept Hamilton behind him for a lap that allowed Verstappen to get closer to Hamilton. Later on, when Verstappen reached close to Perez, he gave away his position and allowed Verstappen to overtake him and pursue Hamilton.
After winning the title, Verstappen thanked teammate Perez
After taking the chequered flag home, Verstappen in a press conference said, “I think without Checo, I wouldn’t be sitting here right now because then they would have had a pit gap with the Safety Car and stuff so Checo was driving incredibly today.” Not to forget, Verstappen also addressed Sergio Perez as a legend over the team radio.
How was the season of Sergio Perez?
Red Bull racer and Verstappen’s teammate Sergio Perez had a wonderful 2021 F1 season. The man from Mexico did not merely help Verstappen win the world championship, but also secured an overall fourth position in the championship. In 23 races, Sergio Perez collected 190 points behind Verstappen, Hamilton and Bottas, respectively. In 2021, he also achieved five podiums (one first place and four third place).
Three months from now, Sergio Perez will return with Max Verstappen for the F1 2022 season.
