Verstappen versus Perez: how the fight compares to the past

F1 News

9 October 2022 at 20:08
Last update 10 October 2022 at 02:46
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  • GPblog.com

Sergio Perez is in his second season at Red Bull Racing. While the Mexican still scored 205.5 points less than teammate Max Verstappen in 2021, the difference this year is 113 points in the Dutchman's favour for now. In the past, multiple champions Michael Schumacher, Sebastian Vettel and Lewis Hamilton also had little trouble with their teammate. How big was the gap back then?

Last year, Verstappen not only secured his first world title, but also did so for the first time in history with a lead of more than 200 points over a teammate. The record stood in the name of Vettel, who gained 198 points more than Mark Webber in the 2013 season. In the previous two years, he also had more than a hundred points more, while his lead over Webber in 2010 was just 14 points.

Old points tally with Schumacher

Hamilton faced Heikki Kovalainen in 2008. His teammate finished seventh in the world championship with a 45-point deficit, although this was still with the old points system. Between 2014 and 2020, he took another six world titles. Where he beat Nico Rosberg by 67 and 59 points, he managed to hold Valtteri Bottas to more than 100 points in two of his four other titles.

A comparison with Schumacher is hard to make. Indeed, the German also had to deal with a different scoring system in his prime years, while also having to drive fewer races. In 1994, the difference with Jos Verstappen was still the biggest with 82 points, before he beat Johnny Herbert a year later with 57 points. Between 2000 and 2004, he held off Rubens Barrichello with a difference of between 28 and 67 points.

Top level Verstappen is clearly visible

This season, for now, Verstappen manages to hold Perez to 113 points. Hamilton and Vettel both managed to do better twice, as did Verstappen last race year. However, after the 2021 Abu Dhabi race weekend, the Mexican showed again at the Japanese Grand Prix that he is an excellent teammate who is there for Verstappen when he needs him.