Phillip Eng, the Austrian racing driver, has issued a warning to Sergio Perez, emphasizing the potential detrimental impact of witnessing Max Verstappen’s exceptional performance in Miami.
Verstappen’s remarkable display involved a remarkable ascent from ninth to first place, leaving him in a prime position behind Perez, the pole-sitter, by the 16th lap. Despite initially trailing Perez after pit stops, Verstappen swiftly overtook him, securing both the lead and the race victory with remarkable ease.
Verstappen’s dominance was further exemplified by his ability to set the fastest lap, ultimately extending his lead over Perez by 14 points in the Drivers’ standings. While Perez remains optimistic about his championship prospects, Phillip Eng contends that Verstappen’s demonstration of superiority has dealt a significant blow to Perez’s aspirations, showcasing Verstappen’s unrivaled expertise and skill.
“From Perez’s point of view it was not optimal,” Speedweek quotes the 33-year-old as having told ‘Sport & Talk from Hangar’.
“I also had a colleague in DTM who won the championship, Sheldon van der Linde showed me where the frog has the curls. It’s not nice there.
“Perez has shown that he is fast. He showed in Baku that he is a force to be reckoned with. But Verstappen has now clearly shown him where the frog has the curls.”
Asked whether Perez was too nice as a driver, Eng replied: “I can say he’s not nice – I mean, when the visor closes.”
But, he added: “I think Max drives flawlessly. What he delivers is very difficult to top. It can break a team-mate.”
According to him, Verstappen demonstrated his dominance over Perez by bouncing back from his second-place finish in Baku, where he lost the lead due to the timing of a Safety Car. He believes that Verstappen showed Perez who’s in charge by his impressive performance.
“I think the thing with Baku had Max very foxed that Perez drove the whole race in front of him,” he added. “He didn’t have a chance to get past or get close.
“That’s why he showed in Miami who’s the master of the house.”
The former F2 driver had only praise for Verstappen, especially after he “callously” overtook Kevin Magnussen and Charles Leclerc in one corner.
“Max drove an amazing race,” he added. “It was not only a demonstration by Red Bull Racing, but also by Max.
“If you looked at the strategy – on the hard tyre at the beginning – you would never have guessed that it would be such a show of force. The driver definitely made the difference.
“He read the traffic perfectly. You can see what he’s made of. Kevin Magnussen and Charles Leclerc aren’t nose picking either, they know exactly what they’re doing.
“The fact that he passed by so callously shows what calibre he is. What Max showed not only impressed me as a fan, but also as a racing driver colleague in the broadest sense.”
Such is Verstappen’s prowess on track, Eng reckons the title race is in his hands alone.
“In the end, it will come down to Max Verstappen,” he concluded. “He can call up his performance at any time. He’s in the fastest car. The World title gives him an extra boost. A race like that in Miami is great for an athlete’s self-confidence – that can only help.
“As much as I ‘d like to wish Perez, it’s going to be difficult for him.”
