The 2023 Formula 1 season witnessed a series of noteworthy events, ranging from Max Verstappen's remarkable dominance to the persistent struggles faced by Mercedes and Lewis Hamilton. It was a season filled with thrilling actions and nail-biting moments.

However, one standout incident amidst these events was the unexpected dip in form experienced by Verstappen's teammate, Sergio Perez.

The 33-year-old driver, who started the season competing for the championship, suffered a decline after finishing second to his Dutch teammate at the Miami Grand Prix.

Post the Miami race, Perez's struggles continued, and he failed to reach Q3 in qualifying for the subsequent five races. His struggle reached a peak at the Qatar Grand Prix, where he finished over 80 seconds behind his teammate, as reported by Autosports.com.

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Amid the Mexican driver's struggles, speculations about his potential replacement by AlphaTauri's Daniel Ricciardo began circulating, adding to the mounting pressure on Perez. Despite the uncertainties, the former BWT Racing Point driver managed to regain his form and conclude the season on a positive note reminiscent of his pre-Miami Grand Prix performance.

Reflecting on the tumultuous events, Perez has opened up about how he dealt with the rumours surrounding his potential replacement at the team.

Perez on his replacement rumour

In an exclusive interview with Motorsport.com, the Mexican discussed his response to reports of being replaced by the Australian driver. He stated,

"To be honest, I was not really thinking of it as a driver. I was more focused on making sure I could enjoy the weekends and be able to have that."

"I was having some weekends that were so difficult that they were not fun. I'm here because I still love what I'm doing, and I'm here because I still have a lot of fun, a lot of enjoyment. And that was my main focus, that we really need things to turn them around."

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Although Perez successfully turned things around, he undoubtedly hopes to avoid a repeat of such challenges and aims to build on his end-of-season performance, aspiring to have a stellar 2024 season overall.

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