Max Verstappen won the Formula 1 world driver's championship thanks in no small part to teammate Sergio Perez's heroics at the Abu Dhabi GP.
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Max Verstappen won his maiden Formula 1 world driver’s championsip at the end of a memorable 2021 season. And while the season-ending Abu Dhabi GP was controversial, it did little to dim the Dutchman’s achievements.
Yet there is little doubt that his Red Bull teammate Sergio Perez played a key role in his title win. The Mexican had an up-down debut season at the team; however, his defensive driving played a key part in Verstappen’s Abu Dhavi win.
What’s more, it is something that Verstappen acknowledges. He dubbed ‘Checo’ a legend on team radio during the race for defending against Lewis Hamilton. And he’s now given his teammate a new nickname too.
“He’s the minister of defence now,” Verstappen quipped in a video released on Red Bull Racing’s YouTube channel recently. Team principal Christian Horner, also in the video, showered praise on Perez as well.
“He’s been a great team-mate this year, I think,” Horner said. “The ambience between you guys has been fantastic – he says you owe him a beer for Abu Dhabi.”
“Oh, I’ll pay for a lot of beers! It’s going to be good,” the new World Champion replied.
Both Max Verstappen and Horner also reflected on the Mexican GP, where support for Red Bull was massive thanks to Perez driving for them.
“When we got there, the fans were already really crazy,” said Verstappen. “Of course, a lot of Checo fans but now having Checo in the team, it was full of Red Bull everywhere.
“Really happy I won the race but I was also super-happy to see Checo on the podium for his home grand prix. Checo’s dad was celebrating – I think he’s still celebrating!”
“I thought when you came up with the car [to the podium], Checo’s dad was going to be in the car,” Horner jokingly replied.
That weekend eventually proved to be key to Verstappen’s title bid, despite Hamilton’s late-season surge that saw him close the gap.
And it will be interesting to see how this rivalry between Verstappen and Hamilton plays out in 2022. Especially since the all-important new regulations will produce very different cars to the ones used in recent seasons.
However, as things stand Verstappen is the defending world champion – and will even sport the number 1 on hos car next season, as all defending champions are allowed to do.
The 2022 season gets underway on March 18 with the Bahrain GP, with pre-season testing beginning in February.
