Ex-Formula 1 driver Karun Chandhok believes the Miami Grand Prix is where Sergio Perez became “broken” by Red Bull, after Max Verstappen won from ninth on the grid.
The reigning World Champion’s eight-race winning streak started back at the Miami International Autodrome, where he worked his way through the field to overtake Perez in the closing stages for the win.
Since then, Verstappen has been unbeatable, whereas Perez has faltered.
Remarkably, in the period of which Verstappen has won eight races in a row, Perez has claimed just four podiums.
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His performances have worsened dramatically, with him only just starting to find some form again.
The Mexican driver has claimed a podium at the last two races, although he was still overtaken by Verstappen on Lap 17 at Spa-Francorchamps.
Perez led the opening stages of the Belgian GP, as Verstappen started in sixth following a five-place grid penalty.
After overtaking his team-mate with ease, the two-time World Champion built a 22-second gap in just 27 laps.
Perez’s recent poor spell has seen him fall 125 points behind Verstappen, leaving him to settle for second-best.
Chandhok is convinced that Miami is the source of Perez’s struggles against his Red Bull team-mate, with him having put up no fight ever since.
“I will say the only other thing they appear to have broken is their second driver in some ways,” Chandhok told the Sky Sports F1 podcast.
“At the start of the year, I go back to the drive he put in, in Jeddah, but more importantly in Baku.
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“Crofty [Sky Sports commentator, David Croft] and I were in the commentary box there saying he would have overtaken Max, let alone the strategy, he would have overtaken Max on track and won that race.
“And it was a proper convincing performance, admittedly at one of his strongest circuits on the calendar. But ever since he got overtaken on whatever it was, lap 41 [sic, 48] in Miami – it’s just gone away from him.
“And you know, I look at what happened even yesterday at the weekend at Spa. Max got ahead of him and he put 22 seconds on him in 27 laps.”