Perez: 'The team has seen that I can be as competitive as Max'

Sergio Perez is watching Max Verstappen's results with admiration. The Dutchman is well on his way to winning his second world title in a row, while the Mexican is more than 100 points behind his teammate. However, Perez is also taking positives from the season.

Indeed, the driver feels that by 2022, he has proved he can already compete with Verstappen in some races. Although this did not prove to be possible on a structural basis, Perez expects him to grow further at Red Bull Racing in the coming years.

He wants to use the rest of this season to take the next step. "It is important for me to finish strong and competitive and win races. The championship is practically for Max, so second or third is the same for me," he said in an interview with Fox Sports.

Next season, Perez hopes to remain a candidate for the world title throughout the year. "It has been an important year because the team has seen that I can be as competitive as Max. We want both of us to compete for the title in 2023."

Earlier this week, he revealed that he hopes to win this year's Mexican Grand Prix. The race weekend is scheduled for the end of October. Mexico is followed by another GP in Brazil, after which the Formula 1 season ends at the Abu Dhabi circuit.