Sergio Perez Calls Being Max Verstappen's Teammate 'The Worst Job In F1'; Reveals BTS Of Life At Red Bull

Last Updated:January 05, 2026, 23:02 IST

Perez calls being Verstappen’s team-mate at Red Bull “the worst job in Formula 1,” revealing team bias and pressure before moving to Cadillac in 2026.

Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez during their Red Bull Racing days (X)

Sergio Perez has called it exactly what many suspected, but few dared to say out loud.

Being Max Verstappen’s team-mate at Red Bull, according to the Mexican, is “the worst job in Formula 1 by far."

Perez spent four seasons alongside Verstappen at Red Bull Racing, from 2021 to the end of 2024, and while the results included race wins, podiums and a runner-up finish in the world championship, the experience itself was anything but smooth.

The 35-year-old was let go after a difficult 2024 campaign — where he managed just four podiums and finished eighth in the standings — and replaced by Liam Lawson.

But in a revealing interview on the Cracks podcast, Perez has now lifted the curtain on what life inside the Verstappen-led Red Bull machine was really like.

“Everything Was a Problem at Red Bull"

“I was on the best team, but a very complicated team," Perez said.

“Being Max’s team-mate is already very difficult, but being his team-mate at Red Bull is the worst job in Formula 1, by far."

Perez explained that scrutiny followed him regardless of performance.

“At Red Bull, everything was a problem. If I was faster, it was a problem because it created tension. If I was slower than Max, it was a problem," he said.

“You’re not focused, you’re doing too many commercials — there was always something."

A Car Built for One Man

Perez also revealed that the team was upfront about where its priorities lay when he signed in 2021, replacing Alex Albon after a turbulent 2020 season that nearly ended his F1 career — despite claiming his maiden win in Bahrain.

“When I sat down with Christian Horner, he told me: ‘We’re going to run two cars because we have to, but this project was created for Max; he’s our talent,’" Perez said.

“I knew what I was getting into. I said I’d develop the car and support the team."

That reality became even clearer as Red Bull introduced upgrades tailored increasingly towards Verstappen’s driving style.

Perez admitted he felt competitive early in both 2022 and 2023, particularly at the start of the ground-effect era when the car’s weight distribution suited him.

But once updates arrived, the balance shifted decisively.

“That’s when the pressure started," he said. “Who’s to blame? The driver."

Results That Got Forgotten

Despite the environment, Perez delivered tangible success. He won races in Azerbaijan, finished fourth in 2021, third in 2022, and ended 2023 as runner-up to Verstappen — helping Red Bull secure its first-ever one-two in the drivers’ championship.

Yet Perez believes those achievements were quickly forgotten.

“When I arrived, I started getting results and people forgot how difficult that seat was," he said. “I wasn’t there to fight one of the best ever — I knew my role."

A Fresh Start With Cadillac

After a dismal 2024 season sealed his exit, Perez now begins a new chapter. He will return to Formula 1 in 2026 with Cadillac, partnering Valtteri Bottas in the General Motors-backed project.

For ‘Checo’, it’s a chance to reset, and perhaps prove that his Red Bull struggles were less about decline and more about surviving a system built for one driver alone.

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