Sergio Perez Dismissed as ‘Playing the Victim’ After Controversial Max Verstappen Claims
Sergio Perez’s recent comments about his turbulent time at Red Bull have sparked fresh controversy in the Formula 1 paddock, with one respected insider dismissing the Mexican’s remarks as exaggerated and self-serving.
Perez, who is preparing for a surprise return to the grid this season with Cadillac, used an appearance on the Crack Podcast to reflect candidly on his years alongside Max Verstappen at Red Bull. The former race winner described being Verstappen’s team-mate as one of the “worst jobs in Formula 1” and suggested that outperforming the Dutchman was effectively discouraged within the team.
According to Perez, the environment at Red Bull made it difficult for any second driver to thrive, claiming that being quicker than Verstappen was viewed as “a problem” rather than a success. His comments quickly drew attention, reigniting long-running debates about Red Bull’s car philosophy and whether it is tailored specifically to suit Verstappen’s driving style.
However, those claims have been firmly rejected by veteran F1 journalist and former Williams and Ferrari manager Peter Windsor, who offered a scathing assessment of Perez’s remarks.
Speaking on the F1 Hour, Windsor showed little sympathy for the Mexican driver, accusing him of rewriting history to explain his struggles against Verstappen.
“I think he’s presenting himself as the perfect victim,” Windsor said. “I don’t believe there’s even a grain of truth in what he’s saying.”
Windsor argued that Red Bull’s supposed inability to support two competitive drivers is a myth that doesn’t stand up to scrutiny. He pointed to the team’s past success with Sebastian Vettel and Mark Webber as proof that Red Bull are more than capable of producing two front-running cars.
“If you had put a truly top-level driver in the second Red Bull over the last five or six years, they would have been extremely competitive,” Windsor continued. “Someone like Charles Leclerc would have been right there. He might even have won a championship against Max.”
While Windsor was careful to acknowledge Verstappen’s current superiority, he insisted that Perez’s difficulties were down to performance rather than politics or favoritism.
“That’s not to say Leclerc is better than Max today,” Windsor added. “But a class driver would have been very close to him. The reality is that Red Bull haven’t really had a top-tier driver alongside Max since Daniel Ricciardo left.”
Ricciardo, who famously went wheel-to-wheel with Verstappen during their time together at Red Bull, remains the only team-mate to consistently challenge the Dutchman in equal machinery. Windsor suggested that Perez’s failure to replicate that level of competitiveness undermines his recent claims.
In Windsor’s view, Perez’s comments amount to an attempt to justify being consistently outpaced by Verstappen, rather than an honest reflection of Red Bull’s internal dynamics.
“It all sounds like Perez trying to say, ‘If the car had been built around me, I’d have won four championships and Max would have been nowhere,’” Windsor said. “That’s clearly not the case, and he’s wrong there too.”
Rather than criticizing the team, Windsor believes Perez should be reflecting positively on his Red Bull stint, which included multiple race victories and a key role in championship-winning campaigns.
“He’s achieved results that were probably above his natural talent level,” Windsor said. “He won grands prix, he was part of a dominant era. He should be saying how fortunate he was to be driving for Red Bull at that time.”
Windsor went on to praise the leadership figures Perez worked under, including sporting director Jonathan Wheatley, team principal Christian Horner, and legendary designer Adrian Newey.
“Those were golden years,” he added. “Why isn’t he talking about how lucky he was to be there, how strong the team was, and how much he enjoyed that period of his career?”
Perez’s remarks come at a pivotal moment as he prepares to relaunch his F1 career with Cadillac, a move that has already attracted intense scrutiny. While his outspoken reflections have ensured he remains in the headlines, the backlash suggests his version of events may not be universally accepted within the sport.
As Formula 1 continues to debate Red Bull’s Verstappen-centric era, one thing is clear: opinions remain deeply divided over whether Sergio Perez was a victim of circumstance—or simply fell short against one of the greatest drivers of his generation.
