Verstappen issues Red Bull team-mate verdict

Formula 1 star Max Verstappen has issued a defiant verdict on his team-mate at Red Bull in 2025.

Mexican star Sergio Perez has been under immense pressure to keep his seat with the Milton Keynes-based outfit, following a run of poor performances in 2024.

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While Verstappen claimed nine victories in his RB20 and cruised to a fourth consecutive world championship title, Perez has not been on the podium since April at the Chinese Grand Prix, while he has not won a race since April 2023.

What's more, Perez faltered at the end of the 2024 campaign, only picking up 12 points from the last nine events of the season as Red Bull fell out of constructors' championship contention.

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Will Perez stay at Red Bull?

Heading into the winter break, it was rumoured that Perez will be replaced at the team after advisor Helmut Marko revealed there would be discussions about their driver lineup for 2025.

Perez is currently contracted until the end of the 2026 season having signed a new contract earlier this year, but a number of young Red Bull drivers are in the frame to replace him, including Liam Lawson and Yuki Tsunoda.

However, Verstappen has given his backing to Perez, explaining his qualities both as a team-mate and as a person.

"I don't know, it's up to the team to decide. I've always worked very well with Checo," the Dutchman told media during the Abu Dhabi GP weekend. "He's a wonderful man.

"Honestly, it's very rare to have a team-mate like him. He's always been very good and he's a nice guy.

"I work with him every weekend, week after week, and I find that people have been very hard on him.

"Of course, there are weekends that could have been better, but sometimes people have been very hard on him, because he's not stupid. He's always been considered a great driver and it was difficult, but it was difficult for everyone in the team because the car was sometimes very complicated to drive."

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