Perez reveals Red Bull reality: “There is only Max. The system destroys you”
Red Bull’s current technical struggles have highlighted the growing frustration of Max Verstappen, who is now being linked with a potential move away from the team as he reportedly considers his future. It marks the end of an era of major change, with many of the key figures behind Red Bull’s years of dominance having already departed.
Speaking on a recent episode of The High Performance Podcast, Sergio Perez reflected on several moments from his Formula 1 career, focusing in particular on his four seasons with the Milton Keynes-based team. The current Cadillac driver offered a candid insight into the environment surrounding the four-time World Champion and how Red Bull’s structure revolved around Max Verstappen.
A supporting role from day one
Perez explained that Red Bull made his role within the team perfectly clear from the very beginning. He knew exactly what he was signing up for before joining the squad.
“I knew I was joining Red Bull, a project that had been built around Max over the years. When they signed me, it was absolutely clear, and I knew exactly what I was getting into. The first time I met Christian Horner, he told me: ‘We race with two cars because we’re required to. Otherwise, we’d be perfectly happy racing with just one.’”
Despite that, Perez said he approached the challenge determined to make the most of the opportunity, fully aware that being Max Verstappen’s teammate was probably the toughest job in Formula 1.
“Facing Max at any other team would already be incredibly difficult. But racing against him at Red Bull, with his team, his people and everything built around him, is even harder. You need the very best in every single area. And you simply don’t have it, while he does. Every technical opportunity, the most experienced engineers, the top-level resources—you know everything is directed toward Max.”
Discussing his relationship with the team, Perez admitted he never truly felt fully supported. He described the situation with these words:
“Christian and Helmut were happy whenever I won a race, but at the end of the day they made it very clear that the entire project was built around their driver, and that driver was Max. There were seasons when I genuinely felt I was at his level and capable of fighting him. But as soon as the technical upgrades arrived, the gap grew significantly. It was obvious to me, and I accepted it. I simply tried to make the most of the situation.”
“The system destroys you”
The experienced Mexican driver also reflected on the mental side of racing alongside Verstappen, explaining just how much psychological strength is required to survive in the Red Bull environment.
“At Red Bull, they knew that whoever they brought into the team would be broken within two or three races. You have to be mentally incredibly strong. It takes an exceptional personality to deal with everything that comes with it. When they promoted the young drivers, they lasted only a very short time. Liam lasted, I think, two races. Then came Yuki, but before them there were Pierre Gasly and Alex Albon—both extremely fast and talented drivers. But the system ends up destroying you. When I left, they realized the work I had done over those four years.”
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