Sergio Perez says Red Bull is built around Max Verstappen

Former Red Bull driver Sergio Pérez, who raced for the team from 2021 to 2024, told the High‑Performance podcast that the organisation was constructed to serve Max Verstappen. He said team principal Christian Horner made it clear from their first meeting that all engineering resources, senior staff and strategic focus were directed toward Verstappen’s championship ambitions. Pérez described the difficulty of competing as Verstappen’s teammate, noting that even the best engineers and upgrades were allocated to the Dutch driver, leaving the second driver at a structural disadvantage.

Pérez added that he accepted this reality when he signed and chose to focus on extracting the maximum from the tools available. He praised his own performance under those conditions but acknowledged the growing performance gap in his final season, which contributed to Red Bull losing the constructors’ title to McLaren. After leaving Red Bull, Pérez joined Cadillac for the 2026 Formula 1 season. His remarks provide a rare insider view of the hierarchy within a dominant F1 team and underscore the challenges faced by second drivers in a single‑car‑focused project.