Sergio Perez’s time at Red Bull was tough, with the Mexican driver struggling to live up to expectations alongside Max Verstappen.
He made the move from Racing Point in 2021 and, like many before him, found it difficult to match Verstappen in equal machinery. But his struggles drew more attention than most.
The car was built around Verstappen’s strengths, and Perez often spoke about how hard it was for him to get comfortable. But Jacques Villeneuve believes the real issue wasn’t just the setup but Perez’s inability to adapt.
Although he had some important moments, such as playing a key role in helping Verstappen secure the 2021 title over Lewis Hamilton, Perez always trailed behind his teammate over their four years together. His final season in particular was poor — he finished eighth without a single top-five result from the first six races.
Perez wasn’t able to find any performance and Red Bull cut ties with him after the 2025 season. However, things might have gone differently for him if Red Bull had stuck with a concept that they only stumbled upon by accident.
Red Bull accidentally made their 2022 car too heavy, giving Sergio Perez an edge over Verstappen
The ground effect era of F1 kicked off with Red Bull in command and Verstappen expected to lead the way. But early on, it was Perez who seemed more comfortable with the car.
Perez has explained that Red Bull’s RB18 was too heavy at first due to an oversight, and that heavier build worked in his favour. While Verstappen didn’t suit the initial setup, Perez felt right at home.
“Especially at the beginning of the season, in 2022, when the car was too heavy because of a mistake, so we had a very heavy car with the weight distribution too far forward, right?” said Perez.
“So it was much more stable, which was always what I was looking for. So at that time I remember that from the simulator I was faster than Max.”
“And then we had a car that was maybe not quite Max’s style and in 2022 I started fighting for the championship with him until the upgrades came.”
How an overweight Red Bull car briefly gave Sergio Perez an edge over Max Verstappen
The 2022 season brought new regulations to Formula 1, and while Red Bull quickly became the dominant force in the ground effect era, it was Perez who started off looking stronger.
On the Cracks Podcast, Perez explained how an overweight RB18 worked in his favour early on. The Mexican explained that it made him quicker than Verstappen in simulator sessions because the balance naturally suited him more than his teammate.
Perez said: “Especially at the beginning of the season, in 2022, when the car was too heavy because of a mistake, so we had a very heavy car with the weight distribution too far forward, right?
“So it was much more stable, which was always what I was looking for. So, at that time, I remember that from the simulator I was faster than Max.
“I mean, I was already arriving at the weekends thinking about winning the race and everything came automatically, right? When you’re a driver when you don’t have to think about how to drive about what the car is going to do everything comes automatically.”
“And then we had a car that was maybe not quite Max’s style and in 2022 I started fighting for the championship with him until they stopped.”
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