Discussion | Perez is going to be crucial for Verstappen this season

Sergio Perez long seemed to join the ranks of Pierre Gasly and Alexander Albon: drivers who just didn't make it at Red Bull Racing. During the Grand Prix in Imola, however, the Mexican once again proved his value to the Austrian racing team. He looks set to play a crucial role for Max Verstappen this season.

Last season Verstappen complained about his teammate for a long time. The Dutchman was engaged in a championship battle with Lewis Hamilton. Whereas Valtteri Bottas managed to help his teammate at the time, Perez was often nowhere to be seen. Only in the last GP of the season, which took place in Abu Dhabi, Perez proved his added value.

The new regulations seem to have done Perez good. Where the driver in 2021 still had great difficulty to perform consistently, he is in the new racing year consistently good. It resulted in a well-deserved second place in Imola, putting him on the podium alongside Verstappen.

More importantly, during the race he managed to pressure Leclerc. The Monegasque, who was driving in third place, was all too eager to drive towards Verstappen and try to take victory in Italy as well, but failed. Perez was in fact the disruptive factor in the story, keeping Leclerc behind him.

Although Verstappen was annoyed by Perez on several occasions last season, the reigning world champion now seems very happy with his teammate. Both drivers like each other not only off the track, also on the track they know each other now. In the middle of the championship battle with Ferrari Perez seems to occupy a crucial position. With Perez in the front line, Red Bull hopes to quickly get closer to Leclerc, with Verstappen again having to go for the world title.