Marko happy with second man next to Verstappen: "Incredibly loyal"
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- GPblog.com
Sergio Perez played a crucial role during the Abu Dhabi GP race. With sublime defensive work, the Mexican ensured that Max Verstappen could close a gap of more than ten seconds to rival Lewis Hamilton.
That fact brings Verstappen and Dr. Helmut Marko to a conversation about the number two within the team. According to the Dutchman, Perez largely contributed to the victory in Abu Dhabi and therefore to the conquest of the 2021 title. In conversation with ServusTV, the Red Bull Racing driver stressed that Mercedes did not have a free stop during the safety car because of Perez's work.
Character of Perez makes difference
Marko supports the F1 champion's statements. Perez's character fits well within the team: "He is incredibly loyal and a team player. Of course, we went through certain scenarios with him; he delivers without grumbling, protesting or asking questions." Marko says Perez took eight seconds off Hamilton in two laps in fair fashion.
The emphasis for Marko is on 'in fair fashion.' The Austrian did expect Hamilton to call Perez's defensive actions dangerous, but he concludes, "Perez just had more downforce, so he was a lot faster in the third sector." Otherwise, Perez barely managed to get close to his teammate in 2021. Verstappen scored more than double the number of points and was on the top step of the podium ten times more often; Perez is an ideal teammate for winning the drivers' title.