The 2022 season was a dominant one for Red Bull Racing, however their success came mostly from Max Verstappen’s side of the garage.
The Dutchman won a record breaking 15 races on the way to his second consecutive world championship, seeing his teammate Sergio Perez as more of a wingman than a rival over the course of the season.
The Mexican driver did show flashes of his capability last season however, being nicknamed as the King of the street circuits after wins in Monaco and Singapore, tracks where Verstappen oddly struggled.
The two Red Bull drivers did clash once in 2022, with Verstappen’s refusal to allow his teammate to pass him in Brazil causing a rift between the pair, as every point was crucial to Perez in his battle for second place in the championship with Charles Leclerc.
READ: ‘It is not all about Max’: Sergio Perez makes Red Bull demand after Verstappen tensions
When speaking about his ambitions for the 2023 season at the Red Bull season launch in New York, Perez has claimed that he cannot rely on help from others this season, insisting that it is only up to him to be successful.
“I’m 100% responsible for that [my own success] to work together with my team, to have a good plan, to follow it,” he told The Drive.
“And to be able to find the consistency throughout the whole season that will be the main key for us.”
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In his first two seasons racing for Red Bull, Perez has never really looked to be in contention with his teammate for the championship, instead having to settle for a wingman role and picking up wins in races where Verstappen is not able to win.
The 33-year-old has recently suggested that after two seasons of adapting to driving a winning car, he finally feels capable of mounting a serious title challenge in 2023, even if it involves battling with Verstappen.
Red Bull’s chief advisor Helmut Marko had advised the Mexican against even trying to challenge for the title, claiming that only Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton have the talent required to cause Verstappen any issues and battle him on track.