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Verstappen wasn't scared by Perez's accolade in F1: 'Just motivates me'
Max Verstappen may call himself a three-time Formula 1 world champion, but it is his team-mate Sergio Perez who is credited by some with a different title of honour. The Mexican usually performs well on street circuits and managed to beat Verstappen there in early 2023. But is it right to declare the Red Bull Racing driver the 'king of the streets'?
Perez won in Saudi Arabia and Baku this year, and Max Verstappen failed to win at the Singapore Grand Prix. These were the only races Verstappen didn't win in 2023. However, he did win in Monaco when Perez had a nightmare weekend. How does the Dutchman feel about his teammate being seen by some as supreme on street circuits? "It just makes me more motivated to show that that is not the case," he replied to Viaplay.
"So it's actually the wrong motivation for other people," he added. "It's not that it scares me. Certain media, maybe especially Mexican and Spanish-speaking media, they obviously hype that up." Verstappen also understands that: "People are hoping for a title fight, of course."
Start of the 2023 F1 season
"In the beginning of the season there are never really circuits that suit me perfectly, those only come afterwards. The faster circuits with more fast corners. At that time I wasn't worried at all either, it's just that you had to tie certain details together more. In the end, after Baku, that worked out reasonably well."
"You can certainly always believe in it yourself, but there are so many races during the season. Ultimately, to become a champion, you just always have to be very consistent, and you can hardly make any mistakes. That's ultimately what the championship is won on," Verstappen said.