Verstappen's perfect teammate: All Perez's key moments

After the Brazilian Grand Prix, there was much controversy surrounding the incident between Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez. The Mexican was still fighting for second place in the constructors' championship, but Verstappen would not let his teammate past for sixth position. In post-race interviews, Perez was furious that he was not helped by the Dutchman. "Verstappen owes his two world titles to me," sounded the Mexican's words.

One thing is certain: in the 2021 season, Perez meant a lot to Verstappen. Sometimes this was done consciously, but in hindsight Perez's performance has also done a lot unconsciously for his teammate in the thrilling title battle with Lewis Hamilton. GPblog lists all the crucial moments in which Perez helped teammate Verstappen (consciously and unconsciously) during his time at Red Bull Racing.

Azerbaijan Grand Prix 2021

The race in Baku almost turned into a complete nightmare for Verstappen when he landed hard in the wall after a puncture and could not continue his race. Perez, who had managed to keep Hamilton behind throughout the race, took over the lead from his teammate. The Briton had a great chance to grab many points in the title race, but at the restart in the closing stages of the race, Hamilton felt the pressure. The seven-time world champion had a better start than Perez, but went wide at Turn 1 and had to join at the back. As a result, the Briton, like Verstappen, picked up zero points, a result that proved crucial at the end of the season.

Perez's strategy in France and Austin

At the 2021 French Grand Prix, Perez's strategy played an important role in Verstappen's victory. Towards the closing stages of the race, Mercedes and Red Bull hesitated about making a second pit stop. The fact that Perez was able to continue on his tyres for longer and thus did not have to dive into the pit lane also forced Hamilton to stay outside. Indeed, a second pitstop would have seen the Briton end up behind Perez, which was too great a risk on the sensitive mediums. Mercedes' reluctance allowed Red Bull to be the first to make a second pitstop with Verstappen, allowing the Dutchman to start a catch-up race towards Hamilton in the closing stages. The strategy proved successful and Verstappen crossed the finish line victorious. In Austin later that year, Perez's strategy managed to force Hamilton towards an early pit stop, as the Briton wanted to avoid an undercut. Again, Verstappen won the race.

The 2021 British and Brazilian Grand Prix

At Silverstone and Interlagos, in retrospect, Perez also played a very crucial role in the 2021 title race. Indeed, the Mexican picked up the fastest race lap from Hamilton in both races. As Verstappen and his rival left for Abu Dhabi with equal points, these actions by Perez were also important in the title race, as every point counted.

Mexican minister of defence

The most crucial moment as Verstappen's teammate was the title final in Abu Dhabi. Perez played a key role in Verstappen's victory during the final race of the season. The Mexican defence minister managed to keep Hamilton behind for laps, allowing Verstappen to connect. This eventually proved crucial in the closing stages of the race when Nicholas Latifi caused a safety car. Due to the small gap between the title rivals, Hamilton was forced to stay outside, while Verstappen had the chance to dive into the pit lane for a set of new tyres. The rest of the story is history.

Even in Turkey, Perez proved that he can defend well. The Mexican managed to keep Hamilton behind throughout the race and finished on the podium himself. The Briton had to make do with only fifth position. Verstappen crossed the finish line in second place, allowing him to retake the championship lead from Hamilton.

The 2022 Spanish Grand Prix

Although Perez did not have to do much for Verstappen in 2022 because of Red Bull and the Dutchman's dominant season, there was an important moment at the beginning of the season. Charles Leclerc crashed out in Barcelona, giving Verstappen the chance to take a lot of points against his title rival. Perez was in the lead, but the team asked him to let Verstappen through for the win. Although the Mexican did not quite agree with the team's request, he complied anyway.

Are you missing any moments from 2022? Let us know in the comments!