Max Verstappen's Teammate: A High-Risk Job

To be the teammate of Max Verstappen is no small feat. Christian Horner himself says it: at present, "It can be argued that this bucket is the most difficult in Formula 1, facing a Max Verstappen at the peak of his career. Next year, in 2025, it will be ten years since the Dutchman was in Formula 1.

Over his last ten seasons, the four-time world champion has had five teammates at Toro Rosso et Red Bull : Carlos Sainz, Daniel Ricciardo, Pierre Gasly, Alexander albon and finally Sergio Perez, who left the Austrian team at the end of the 2024 season. The Mexican will be replaced by Liam Lawson, who will therefore become Max Verstappen's sixth teammate in F1.

From the top of his 11 Grands Prix, the New Zealander will face a mountain that has never lost in his direct confrontations with his teammates since 2015! Some have even come close to losing everything and seeing their careers come to an abrupt end after having suffered the law of the Dutchman, who does not give his teammates any gifts...

2015 – May 2016: Carlos Sainz

23 Grand Prix
Verstappen: 62 points / Sainz: 22 points

© Florent Gooden / DPPI

At just 17 years old, Max Verstappen made his Formula 1 debut at Toro Rosso, alongside Carlos Sainz Jr. Very quickly, the Dutchman distinguished himself and validated all the talent that was promised to him at the time, while the Spaniard took more time to adapt. In 2015, the first season of the two drivers, the result was clear: Max Verstappen scored 49 points against only 18 for Carlos Sainz.

The native of Hasselt even took two 4th places and overtook Felipe Nasr this year at the Belgian Grand Prix. In 2016, over the first four Grands Prix, the observation was the same with Verstappen well ahead of Sainz (13 points to 4). So, when Red Bull decided to do without Daniil Kvyat, the choice of his replacement was more than obvious… Carlos Sainz, for his part, would continue at Toro Rosso before being transferred to Renault in 2017, then at McLaren in 2019, at Ferrari in 2021 – where he obtained his first victories in F1 – and finally at Williams in 2025.

May 2016 – 2018: Daniel Ricciardo

58 Grand Prix
Verstappen: 608 points, 5 wins / Ricciardo: 590 points, 4 wins

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…and that's how Max Verstappen made his debut at Red Bull in the fifth Grand Prix of the 2016 season, alongside Daniel Ricciardo. And what a debut! The Dutchman took his first victory in his first race with the Austrian team, in Spain! Facing the Australian, in a top team, Max Verstappen was still finding his feet and found himself facing a tough opponent. Good friends in the paddock, the two teammates would still experience some heated moments, like the collision at the end of the race in Baku, in 2018, or in Hungary the previous year.

Of the 58 Grands Prix spent together, Max Verstappen narrowly won with 608 points against 590 for Daniel Ricciardo who, sensing the wind turning internally after a complicated 2018 season, decided to leave the Red Bull ship to join Renault in 2019. A risky and failed bet: with the Diamond, the Perth native did not win any Grand Prix and left for McLaren in 2021. At Woking, despite a victory at Monza, the adventure went badly and Daniel Ricciardo was thanked at the end of 2022. The Australian returned to Red Bull in 2023 as a reserve driver then as a full-time driver at AlphaTauri, with the hope of finding a seat within the parent team... without success.

March 2019 – August 2019: Pierre Gasly

12 Grand Prix
Verstappen: 181 points, 2 wins / Gasly: ​​63 points, 0 wins

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With Daniel Ricciardo leaving for Renault, Max Verstappen becomes the logical number 1 at Red Bull. A status that allows him to have priority over the settings and development of the car. And Pierre Gasly is going to learn that the hard way. The Frenchman, promoted to Red Bull to replace the Australian, is no match for the Dutchman. Constantly beaten in qualifying and in the race, he does not get a single podium while at the same time, Max Verstappen takes two victories and is in 3rd place in the championship.

After 12 Grands Prix, the Norman has three times fewer points than his teammate... Red Bull then decides to relegate Pierre Gasly to Toro Rosso mid-season: the Frenchman remobilizes and signs an incredible podium in Brazil. Until 2022, he is the leader of the AlphaTauri team and even obtains a victory at Monza, as well as a few podiums. In 2023, he joins Alpine and signs a new podium in Brazil, in 2024.

September 2019 – 2020: Alexander Albon

26 Grand Prix
Verstappen: 311 points, 3 wins / Albon: 181 points, 0 wins

© Antonin Vincent / DPPI

To replace Pierre Gasly, Red Bull put its trust in Alexander Albon, who was then competing in his first season in Formula 1 with Toro Rosso. The Thai had then shown promising pace within the Faenza team… but in Milton Keynes, it was not the same pair of sleeves. Like Pierre Gasly, Alex Albon suffered at the wheel of a Red Bull designed with great care for Max Verstappen and his own driving style. In 2020, the Covid year, he finished far behind his teammate (214 points for Verstappen, 105 for Alexander Albon) and was not renewed for 2021, despite his first two podiums. Red Bull nevertheless kept him as a reserve driver.

Alexander Albon then found himself on the sidelines in 2021 after his unsuccessful adventure alongside Max Verstappen. The Thai took advantage of this forced "sabbatical year" to rebuild his reputation, in DTM notably. In 2022, Williams decided to recruit him to lead the new project of the British team with the investors of Dorilton. At Grove, he became the leader of the team and will be associated with a certain Carlos Sainz in 2025.

2021-2024: Sergio Perez

90 Grand Prix
Verstappen: 1861,5 points, 53 wins / Perez: 932 points, 5 wins

© Florent Gooden / DPPI

The latest victim in this table of Max Verstappen's teammates in Formula 1: Sergio Pérez. Started by Red Bull in 2021 to replace Alexander Albon, the Mexican breaks the tradition of Toro Rosso drivers promoted to the parent team. With such a transfer and with the experience of "Checo", Red Bull hopes to break the curse of the second Austrian seat. In 2021, Sergio Pérez becomes a good lieutenant to Max Verstappen who is then playing for the title against Lewis HamiltonIn Abu Dhabi, his defense against the Briton allowed the Dutchman to stay in contact with the driver. Mercedes and, subsequently, to win his first world championship title in crazy circumstances.

In 2022, Sergio Pérez started the season well with podiums and a victory in Monaco. Here again, Max Verstappen was well above him, but the Mexican did the necessary work to score big points and allow Red Bull to clinch its first Constructors' title since 2013. In 2023, Sergio Pérez took two victories in the first four Grands Prix and saw himself challenged for the title against his teammate... and that's where his fall began. That year, Max Verstappen took a record 19 victories against only two for Sergio Pérez, who was soundly beaten.

In 2024, it's even worse: the Mexican only gets four podiums and no victories when at the same time, Max Verstappen wins his fourth title! Completely overwhelmed, Sergio Pérez only finishes 8th in the championship and his repeated poor performances deprive Red Bull of the Constructors' title. "Checo" sees his adventure with Red Bull end at the end of the 2024 season after 90 Grands Prix, and perhaps his career in Formula 1 too.

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