The Hispanic Formula 1 driver, Juan Pablo Montoya, made some statements in which he assured that Sergio “Checo” Pérez is not better than Max Verstappen.
In an interview for Motorsport.com, Montoya spoke about what the upcoming Formula 1 season will be like and in it he took the opportunity to touch on the relationship between Checo Pérez and Verstappen, which raised several controversies last season in which the Dutchman was crowned champion.
In Montoya’s words, at the beginning of last season Checo was faster than Verstappen, but this was balanced out thanks to the work done by the Red Bull team.
“If you look at the beginning of the year, when Max was not comfortable and Checo could drive him (at Red Bull), Checo was faster than him. Is Checo a better driver than Max? The truth is, no. He is a very good driver, but I don’t think he is at Max’s level,” Montoya said.
Later he spoke about the way in which Red Bull works on its cars, which has made it stand out from any other team.
“What Red Bull has always done well is the amount of progress they make with the car. They can really develop the car. Same as Mercedes. The development rate of the cars compared to any other team, they are in a different league,” he expressed.
Finally, he spoke about who is the favorite for the World Championship in 2023, making it clear that Verstappen could repeat because he is above the level of another of his direct rivals, Charles Leclerc (Ferrari).
“I think Charles is very good, but Max is more experienced. And I think that the more experience and the more wins, and with the championships now under his belt, that takes a lot of pressure off him,” he concluded.