LONDON:
Max Verstappen congratulated former Crimson Bull teammate Sergio Perez as quickly as he heard the Mexican had secured a Formulation One comeback with newcomers Cadillac subsequent season, he revealed on Thursday.
Perez partnered the four-times world champion at Crimson Bull from 2021 to 2024 however left after a dramatic drop in kind.
The 35-year-old’s return, alongside Valtteri Bottas, with the 2026 debutants was introduced on Tuesday.
“I rapidly, after I noticed the information come out, despatched a message to him,” Verstappen informed reporters forward of his residence Dutch Grand Prix.
“I am after all very completely happy for him that he bought a seat. He is an important man and we have at all times bought alongside very effectively. I am completely happy to see him again on the grid. “How he’ll carry out, I feel, may even depend upon how good the automotive goes to be… nevertheless it’s a brand new alternative and I am certain he is very excited for it.”
Perez, a six-times race winner, was championship runner-up to Verstappen in 2023 however slumped to eighth in 2024 when his teammate clinched his fourth title in a row. His successors Liam Lawson, who lasted two races, and Yuki Tsunoda have additionally struggled in a workforce the place Verstappen is the clear primary and the automotive tuned to his style.
Since Perez left, Verstappen has received two races and scored 187 factors, however his teammates solely including seven with Tsunoda having a greatest results of sixth within the Miami dash and ninth in common grands prix. Verstappen stated Perez now had the possibility to make a recent begin with the game’s eleventh workforce.
“I feel additionally from his aspect, only one half of the season does not outline what you are able to do, proper? I feel he is additionally fairly simple in that. Some individuals possibly dwell on it a bit extra,” he added.
“He has proven a whole lot of nice issues even earlier than he bought to Crimson Bull, in the course of the Crimson Bull time. He simply must go in there and luxuriate in it once more and have a great time.”
