Lewis Hamilton has turned the spotlight on Sergio Perez, putting pressure on the Mexican driver to secure second place in the Formula 1 drivers’ championship.
Hamilton, who is just 30 points behind Perez in the standings, faced a difficult race at the Qatar Grand Prix, where he crashed out in a first-lap collision with his teammate, George Russell.
Perez, however, couldn’t capitalize on this opportunity, finishing in 10th place after a challenging race.
This added to the mounting pressure on Perez’s shoulders, as a series of lacklustre results have left him with just one podium finish in his last five races, despite being in the dominant Red Bull RB19.
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Perez is eyeing his highest-ever world championship finish, while Red Bull is eager to secure their first-ever one-two finish in the championship, following Max Verstappen’s triumphant march to his third consecutive world title.
With only five races left in the season, Hamilton is aware that he will need support from Perez to climb into the top two in the championship, a position he hasn’t held since the 2021 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.
Speaking to the media after the Qatar Grand Prix, Hamilton acknowledged the importance of Perez’s performance in the title race, stating:
“I mean it’s ultimately largely dependent on Checo’s performance moving forwards…
“As he should easily have second, as you know.”
He continued, “But I’m really proud of where we are, where I’ve managed to get to.
“I am really proud of the race performances so far.
“Of course, I want to try and do better and do more, and if I were to get second, it would be amazing.
“But the main focus is really to try and get second for the team.”
Beyond the drivers’ championship, Mercedes faces a tight battle with Ferrari in the constructors’ standings.
The Silver Arrows are just 28 points ahead of Ferrari, which has shown strength in recent races.
Both teams are vying for the title of “best of the rest” in a season overwhelmingly dominated by Red Bull.
Hamilton expressed the need for Mercedes to continue pushing forward, saying, “We definitely are not comfortably second. Ferrari is putting up a really strong fight.
“They’ve done an amazing job in the last couple of races. It’s going to really be a battle.
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“I’m really excited for the last half of the season, to see if we can really squeeze more out of this car and try to finish ahead of them.
“But it’s going to take a real team effort.
“I am really proud of where we are considering where we started at the beginning of the season.”