Christian Horner Praises Sergio Perez For Achieving Red Bull’s First-Ever 1-2 In Drivers’ Championship

Following the massively thrilling Las Vegas Grand Prix, all eyes were on Mexican driver Sergio Perez who wowed fans and onlookers with a stellar performance, landing him a podium finish from P11.

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Red Bull Chief Christian Horner praised Perez’s performance, which effectively went down in the racing team’s hall of fame for being the first time a Red Bull driver seals second place in the championship. Coming in with a 32-point lead over Lewis Hamilton who landed third place, the team were content with the knowledge that the Briton needed at least another six points before the battle moved on to the finals in Abu Dhabi.

Battle of the Bulls

 With Perez’s latest recovery drive, and Hamilton landing in seventh position, he now holds an unbeatable 41-point lead over the Mercedes driver, marking a career highlight in the current P2 championship with a single race to go.

So far, Red Bull have already snatched up seven drivers’ championships and six constructors’ titles, but this is the first time a one-two finish has been secured in the standings in the last 18-year history of Red Bull Racing. Nevertheless, things took a quick upward turn following Max Verstappen’s 2023 championship win and Perez’s latest results.

The latest Las Vegas Grand Prix added an extremely thrilling final chapter to the 2023 Formula 1 season, with Perez facing a challenging start after colliding behind Valettri Bottas resulting in some pretty nasty front wing damage. Nevertheless, demonstrating exceptional skill and resilience, Perez clawed his way back into the race, even overtaking fellow teammate Verstappen at one point, securing the second position for the team.

Making History

In a nail-biting finale that saw Scuderia Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc overtaking Perez in the blink of an eye on the final lap, pushing him back to third place. Nevertheless, there was nothing but praise for Perez, with a highly optimistic Christian Horner sharing the excitement of this remarkable victory during an interview on Sky Sports.

“It’s something as a team we’ve never achieved before,” he noted, “what more can you ask from your drivers?” he added, making reference to the fact that Verstappen slowed down at some point to offer Perez the tow. Verstappen’s Vegas victory also gave Red Bull a record-breaking 20^th win for the season, smashing Mercedes’s previous record of 19 victories back in 2016. Another reason for Horner to be suitably thrilled of course.

Key Highlights

When asked about the 2023 F1 season highlights, Horner was quick to reply, “there have been so many.” Draw attention once again to Max’s 18^th victory and an overall 20 wins for the Red Bull Racing team. When asked about the Las Vegas Strip Circuit, Horner noted that “I think it’s right up there”. Other key takeaways from this latest race include:

• Notable Teamwork – Red Bull’s team strategy, along with Max Verstappen’s efforts to provide Perez with a tow was notable but not enough for Perez to secure second place.
• A Fierce Comeback – despite early setbacks including front wing damage due to a collision, Perez made an incredible comeback from P11 to second place, even though it was just for a moment.
• A Solid Championship – solidifying Perez’s position in the world championship, this race will go down in Red Bull Racing history, with chief Chris Horner praising his recent performance as well as the team’s as they smash through with first and second place in the Drivers World Championship.