Pérez ready to challenge Verstappen: 'I can compete for the championship'

The 2023 Formula One season starts in the first weekend of March with the Bahraini Grand Prix. Max Verstappen is aiming for a third world title in a row, but can expect stiff competition this year from his teammate Sergio Pérez. The Mexican believes he is ready to enter the final battle with Verstappen. 'At the moment, I am at my best,' Pérez told the Formula 1 website.

Pérez finished third in 2022. Until the last race, the Mexican was engaged in a fierce battle with Charles Leclerc for second place. The Monegasque eventually pulled ahead and captured the second position in the World Cup standings. With two race wins (Monaco and Singapore), Pérez's performance stands in stark contrast to that of teammate Max Verstappen. The Dutchman won no fewer than 15 Grands Prix. Still, Pérez believes he is ready to compete for the world title. 'I feel I am at my best right now. If I can be constant for a whole season and also the car is of an equal level as last year, then I can compete for the championship,' said Pérez, who started last season well.

Pérez believes that in the first part of last season he was able to keep up well with Verstappen and he was in full competition for the world title, but at one point had to give up the fight. 'I started very well in 2022. Even though we had some reliability problems at the beginning, it looked promising. I was definitely competing in the championship. However, I had some bad races that threw me back. Halfway through the season the championship slipped through my fingers.' The betting shops consider it unlikely that the Mexican will actually become world champion in 2023 as evidenced by the odd of a whopping 26.00!

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