F1 News
Mercedes sees danger in Red Bull: 'Perez will be a strong second driver'
- GPblog.com
With Sergio Perez as its new driver Red Bull Racing will be competing with Mercedes next season. For the past two years Red Bull has not had a good second driver alongside Max Verstappen to really challenge Mercedes, but that is likely to change next year. At Mercedes they are already starting to get slightly worried.
"If you look at the teams we are competing against, of course we are looking at Red Bull. They will be our strongest opponent. With Verstappen they have a very good driver and I think Perez is going to be a strong second driver," explained Mike Elliott, technology director at Mercedes, in conversation with Marca.
Mercedes afraid of Red Bull?
"Perez will score points when Verstappen doesn't or to give extra support for the constructors' championship". Elliott has been with Mercedes since 2012 and therefore knows the Mercedes philosophy well. Niki Lauda has brought about a lot of change, the Brit explains. "There is a Niki quote that we always fall back on: 'You can't learn anything from winning, you only learn when you lose'. The reaction to losing is big, bigger and stronger than when you win."
Toto Wolff and Lauda were both influential and together they therefore helped the team to a higher level, Elliott also sees. "Wolff also added: 'The day we lose is the day the competition has to fear'. I think that fits with Niki's quote. There is a feeling within the team that 'seven titles won is good, but we are far from perfection'. The competition is strong and if we fall asleep they will beat us," concludes Mercedes' technology director.