Sergio Perez admits visiting psychologist but refuses to blame Red Bull’s love for Max Verstappen

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Sergio Perez has been going through a tough time at Red Bull recently. After failing to qualify for Q3 in the last five races, the Mexican crashed into the barriers in the opening minutes of the first free practice session in Hungary on Friday. And because of the 33-year-old’s recent poor run, the pressure is undoubtedly mounting for him. For this reason, Perez admitted he consulted a psychologist but refused to blame Red Bull or Max Verstappen for the same.

It’s fair to say that recent events at Red Bull wouldn’t have made Perez’s life any easier. First, the Milton Keynes-based team showed their ruthlessness by sacking Nyck de Vries just 10 races into the 2023 season.

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Secondly, Daniel Ricciardo’s arrival at AlphaTauri served as a kind of warning for Perez. The Aussie has made it clear he wants to aim for the second seat at Red Bull, and with Perez’s underperformance recently, his seat is in real jeopardy.

Sergio Perez responds to rumors suggesting Red Bull favor Max Verstappen

Given that most Red Bull drivers who have been paired alongside Max Verstappen have struggled to compete with the Dutchman, many have raised concerns that the team is prioritizing the 25-year-old over their second driver. However, Sergio Perez has refuted these rumors with a emphatic response.

In a recent interview with Mundo Deportivo ahead of the Hungarian Grand Prix, the Mexican replied No, no, that’s impossible, when asked that some people think Red Bull tampered with his car. He then added that the team had always supported him and that their goal was to give him a car with which he could perform at his best.

Perez added that it’s crazy to hear some of the things people say on the outside. However, he admitted there was a time when he was not in the best frame of mind. As a result, he had to start seeing a psychologist.

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The mental part is very important to be able to be calm now. It’s something that I’ve been working pretty hard on with my psychologist and I think we’re in a really good frame of mind. Understanding why it all happened and learning how to deal with it is key, the 33-year-old explained.

While Perez admitted he manages his emotions much better now, the challenge Verstappen poses as a team-mate still remains as difficult as before. The results also appear to be going in Verstappens’ favor, with the 25-year-old winning eight races to Perez’s two.

Perez admits the pressure at Red Bull is greater than at other teams

After confessing to seeing a psychologist, Sergio Perez has given two reasons why he is under pressure at Red Bull. First, he mentioned the obvious challenge of having to beat a formidable driver like Max Verstappen.

The Guadalajara native believes that if a driver isn’t mentally strong they can’t be at Red Bull as 90% of drivers would sink next to Verstappen. After explaining the same, Perez also said that the interest most drivers have in joining Red Bull requires existing drivers to always be on their toes.

The 33-year-old then concluded by saying he had never seen this kind of pressure from other teams like Ferrari or Mercedes. He thinks that when it comes to Red Bull, even if a driver has a few bad weekends, he might lose his seat. However, he feels that the same may not be applicable in their rivals.

Considering Perez’s recent remarks, it’s fair to say that he still feels intense pressure to deliver due to fears he might lose his seat. The driver who looks most likely to have an eye on his seat is new AlphaTauris signing Daniel Ricciardo.

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