09 February 2023 , 17:19
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Christian Horner thinks Sergio Perez has "the capability" of beating Max Verstappen – but doubts his chances of pulling it off over the course of a Formula 1 season.
The Dutchman has driven at a remarkable level over the two seasons he has been partnered with Perez. Firstly he went toe-to-toe with – and beat – Lewis Hamilton to the 2021 title, while last season he was in a league of his own as he romped to a second championship success.
Perez performed well, winning two races and scoring strongly on a consistent basis to finish third in the championship. But he was 149 points adrift of his fellow Red Bull racer by the end of the season, as Verstappen won a record 15 races in total.
Going into his third year alongside the defending champion, Perez will hope to be more competitive in that intra-team rivalry. While Horner has always made a point of defending the Mexican, even the team principal admits it's unlikely he will be able to reach Verstappen's level.
"The form that Max has been in means he is the man to beat," he told Auto Motor und Sport's Formel Schmidt podcast. "He's the reigning world champion and Checo has to strive for that, otherwise, why is he competing?
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"But I think the reality is that in all probability, Max over the season is likely to be the [main] candidate for the world championship. But Checo has the capability to be right there, we need both drivers performing at the best of their ability for the constructors' championship.
Max Verstappen has set a remarkable high bar that Sergio Perez is yet to clear (Seth Wenig/AP/REX/Shutterstock)"Checo knows exactly what is expected from him, and being Max's teammate is a pretty daunting prospect for any driver. But he has handled that very well, and was an integral part of us winning the [2022] constructors' championship, and he finished a very close third, winning two Grands Prix. Checo has evolved since he joined the team in 2021."
Horner recently declared his opinion that Verstappen and Perez make up the best driver partnership he has had in all his time with Red Bull. "We're very lucky we got two fantastic drivers and you know their combined efforts the last two years have been stunning," he told reporters.
"First and third in in the drivers' [2022] championship and, of course, bringing home that constructors' championship back to Oracle Red Bull Racing for the first time in eight years. And, you know, these guys, I think it's the best pairing we've ever had in Formula 1. It's been hugely successful."