Antonio Perez also spoke highly of his son’s mindset, referring to it as a “Champion’s mentality.” He acknowledged the collaborative spirit within the Red Bull team and commended Helmut Marko, Red Bull’s longstanding advisor, for his role in the process. Marko recently stirred controversy by insinuating that Perez’s background may have contributed to his struggles against Verstappen in 2023 and made a geographical error in his description of the driver, causing backlash from fans in Mexico.
However, Marko personally apologized to Perez before the subsequent race in Singapore, and Perez, the most successful Mexican driver in F1 history with six Grand Prix victories, downplayed the incident. Antonio Perez praised Marko, stating, “He [Marko] is the best teacher for Sergio.”
