Sergio Perez: No mind games against Red Bull teammate Max Verstappen in Formula 1 title fight

Red Bull's Sergio Perez has dismissed any suggestions of using "mind games" on his teammate Max Verstappen as they battle for the 2023 Formula 1 title.

The Mexican driver is currently in contention for his first-ever world title, trailing Verstappen by just six points in the standings.

Ahead of the Miami Grand Prix this weekend, Perez spoke to the media and revealed his focus is on improving his own performance and working closely with his engineers to do so. He stated, "The best way that I can win the championship is just by having that evolution for the season."

Perez also commended the Red Bull team for not implementing team orders, specifically in Azerbaijan where both he and Verstappen were allowed to race flat out. He acknowledged, "We have to appreciate Red Bull because it would be easy to implement team orders on Lap 20 to look after the cars and make sure we are reliable."

The 33-year-old driver also praised the level of respect he shares with his teammate, "As long as that respect is there, I don't see any reason why it would be any different between us. Because we've both won and we are very hungry - but at the end of the day, we have a lot of respect for our team."

Perez's mindset of focusing on his own performance rather than engaging in psychological warfare with his teammate speaks volumes about his determination to win the championship through hard work and perseverance.

With Red Bull's RB19 car performing strongly against its rivals, the upcoming races are sure to be an exciting battle between the two Red Bull drivers.