Sergio Perez has won two races this season to Max Verstappen’s eight (Photo: Getty)
Sergio Perez has all but conceded that he won’t beat Max Verstappen to the Formula One title this year.
With Red Bull’s car so much quicker than its rivals, it was always going to be a near-impossible task to stop Verstappen winning a third-straight championship in 2023.
However, his Red Bull teammate had been looking to cause an upset and four races into the season he was doing just that.
Following April’s Azerbaijan Grand Prix, Verstappen and Perez had two wins apiece with the former’s lead in the standings at just six points.
The Dutchman has gone on to win the next six races however, while the Mexican has struggled for form, finishing on the podium just twice in that time, and as a result the gap is now a whopping 99 points.
That means Verstappen can afford to not turn up to at least the next three grand prix and still maintain a healthy lead in the championship.
With all that in mind, Perez has now admitted it is virtually impossible for him to catch his teammate, telling AS: ‘In Formula 1, only your position in Abu Dhabi [the season finale] matters.
Verstappen has a 99 point lead in the championship (Photo: Getty)
‘But I am not second in the World Championship by a miracle, I have won races. I’ve had some bad races, but we have everything ahead of us.
‘Target now? Undoubtedly the runner-up in the championship. But I’m only think about the Hungarian GP.’
Going into this weekend’s race at the Hungaroring, Perez is 19 points ahead of Fernando Alonso, who is in turn 16 points ahead of Sir Lewis Hamilton.
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The Aston Martin and Mercedes drivers are likely to be Perez’s main rivals for the runners-up spot, with the 33-year-old adding: ‘Fernando is a big surprise this year.
‘They have made a big step, but also McLaren in the last race. Everything is much closer with these rules.
‘Hopefully the Mexican [will finish P2 in the standings]!’
Perez is 99 points behind his Red Bull teammate.
