Pérez faces impossible task against Verstappen: "He's up against a phenomenon"

Davide Valsecchi, former GP2 driver and current commentator for the Italian branch of Sky Sports, believes that Max Verstappen will once again become the world champion this year. The commentator sees a clear difference between the multiple race winner and his teammate Sergio Pérez. Valsecchi views the Mexican driver as the Valtteri Bottas of Red Bull Racing. The determination to win is what sets Verstappen apart from Pérez.

The man from Guadalajara has already achieved two victories this season. Can Pérez really beat Verstappen this year? "If we're talking about certain points in the season, then yes. If it's about the championship, then no," Valsecchi says in La Gazzetta dello Sport. "Pérez is a very good driver, but he's up against a phenomenon, and a phenomenon is strong every day of the week. Pérez is good, but he can only reach that level a few times a year."

"In our sport, you can clearly see a difference between good drivers and champions," Valsecchi continues. The commentator also looks at the performances of Fernando Alonso. "He almost always finishes third and has only finished fourth once." Valsecchi believes that Pérez should accept his role as a second driver. "Pérez reminds me of Bottas a little bit. He's a good driver and could beat Hamilton four or five times per season."

Valsecchi: "Verstappen is a boxer"

For Valsecchi, it's also clear who will win the Formula 1 championship this season. However, Valsecchi did not expect Verstappen to reach this level in his career. "Verstappen is at the same level as Hamilton, that's just it. I don't know if he can maintain this for seven years, but he makes almost no mistakes. He is now showing qualities that we didn't see in him a few years ago. That's the thing with champions, they keep improving themselves."

Valsecchi observed that Verstappen laid the foundation for his performances this year in 2021. "Verstappen is like a boxer. In 2021, he managed to defeat Hamilton because he knew he had to do something special. Giving a hundred percent wasn't enough. He had to push far beyond that limit, and he did." The determination of Verstappen was also evident during the Miami Grand Prix. "In terms of tire management, he did what he had to do. It was clear that he really wanted to beat Pérez," Valsecchi concludes.