Jos Verstappen criticizes Perez's father for his remarks.
"Checo made Verstappen the champion"
Jos Verstappen has responded after Sergio Perez's father attributed Max Verstappen's championship titles to his son. Perez, 35, is set to return to Formula 1 next year with Cadillac after a year away following his departure from Red Bull Racing. However, his vocal father, Antonio Perez Garibay, reignited discussions regarding Perez's four-year tenure alongside Verstappen.
"Checo drove for Red Bull for four years. How many years did Red Bull hold the championship? Four years," said Perez Sr., as reported by Mexican media. "Checo Perez made Verstappen the champion. If Checo had driven the same car, he would be the world champion now. Red Bull needed him."
Perez Sr. even referred to Lewis Hamilton as an "eight-time world champion," a pointed allusion to the contentious 2021 Abu Dhabi finale between Hamilton and Verstappen. When the Dutch magazine Formule 1 shared these comments on social media, Jos Verstappen felt compelled to respond in his native language.
"What a fool that guy is," wrote the 53-year-old former F1 driver, who is now Max's co-manager. "He was always given the same equipment. He just needed to hit the accelerator."
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