The Red Bull Formula 1 team faced a shocking disappointment in the 2024 season, missing out on the Constructor's World Championship despite Max Verstappen's exceptional efforts. While Verstappen continued to deliver stellar performances, his teammate, Sergio Perez, struggled to keep up in the fierce title battle. Ultimately, Perez was sacked from the team, but Verstappen has come to his defense, acknowledging that the team's poor performance wasn't entirely Perez's fault.
Max Verstappen’s Support for Perez
Throughout the 2024 campaign, Max Verstappen defended his teammate, often pointing out that the challenges they faced were not solely Perez's responsibility. Despite the team's struggles, Verstappen emphasized that the difficulties were not caused by Perez’s lack of effort.
"I absolutely don’t want to criticize him, and I can clearly say that it wasn’t all his fault if things went so bad," Verstappen said in an interview with Formula Passion. He added that the car, the RB20, was extremely difficult to drive, and this caused issues for both drivers throughout the season.
RB20's Inconsistencies and Its Effect on Perez
The Red Bull RB20 car in the 2024 season proved to be inconsistent and challenging. While Verstappen managed to get impressive results from the car, Perez’s rigid driving style made it more difficult for him to extract the same level of performance. Perez was only able to accumulate 152 points, a stark contrast to Verstappen’s dominant 437 points.
"The biggest problem we had this season was that the machine wasn’t working," Verstappen admitted. "Obviously, I know Checo’s driving style. The car we had at one point was very difficult to drive. It was like that for me too, and that doesn’t help."
A New Chapter for Verstappen and Red Bull
With Perez no longer part of the team, Max Verstappen will have a new teammate for the 2025 season in Liam Lawson. The 22-year-old New Zealand driver enters the team with high expectations and plenty of hype surrounding his potential.
However, given how difficult Perez found adapting to the RB20, Lawson might face similar challenges with the new RB21. Verstappen himself acknowledged the struggles of working with a car that didn't suit everyone’s driving style, making Lawson's task somewhat daunting.
Looking Ahead: Max Verstappen’s Dominance Continues
Despite the difficulties with the RB20, Max Verstappen’s exceptional driving talent continued to shine through in 2024. His defense of Perez and his acknowledgment of the car's shortcomings highlight his professionalism and understanding of the complex factors that influenced Red Bull's performance.
As the 2025 season approaches, Verstappen’s partnership with Lawson will be closely watched, with many curious to see how the young driver adapts to the pressures of competing alongside the world champion.