Christian Horner names key difference between Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez

Christian Horner believes that mentality is the main thing holding Sergio Perez back in his fight with Red Bull team-mate Max Verstappen this year. The Mexican driver is coming under increasing pressure heading into his home race this weekend.

The pair are separated by what will soon be a record-breaking margin for the top two contenders in a World Championship fight with Verstappen now 226 points clear of the 33-year-old with four races still to go this season.

Checo clinched two wins in the opening four races this season but was soon overpowered by his now-three-time world champion team-mate. After 18 races, Verstappen has 15 wins and 18 podium finishes to his name, while the Mexican is yet to add to his wins in Jeddah and Baku.

Discussing the differences between his two drivers, Horner said: “I think it’s a huge element and with any sportsman that, mental strength always plays a key role. And I think there was a decisive moment this year, which was probably in Miami, where Checo had, if you like, an open goal.

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“He’d won two races in Azerbaijan and Saudi, and you could see his confidence was high. I think that Max, winning that race, having been caught out by a red flag in qualifying – starting down in ninth, and whatever lap it was that he took the lead, within a very short period of time – I think mentally that was that was quite a brutal one for Checo to deal with.

“And on top of that, then came Monaco, I think pretty much the next race. And then things compound. And Max is just relentless, he’s then just hitting aces every race from there onwards.”

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With Perez’s form yet to recover since the summer break, rumours have circulated regarding his short-term future with Red Bull. Despite being contracted with the team until the end of the 2024 season, it has been suggested that failure to bring home the team’s first-ever one-two finish in the World Championship could lead to a premature departure.

While the existence of such an ultimatum has been denied by the Red Bull hierarchy, if Perez is under pressure to deliver a second-place finish then he was helped greatly by Lewis Hamilton’s misfortune at the previous two rounds in Qatar and Texas. The gap between the pair has now widened to 39 points.

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