Max Verstappen's true colours on show as Sergio Perez reveals his private message

When Sergio Perez's move to Cadillac was confirmed, Max Verstappen was one of the first to reach out. Verstappen and Perez know each other well, having driven with each other at Red Bull for four seasons.

The 35-year-old Mexican left the Milton Keynes-based outfit last December after his contract was terminated two years early. Verstappen, 27, enjoyed a great deal of success when Perez was his back-up, as back in the 2021 campaign, Perez did an amazing job neutralising Lewis Hamilton at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, which helped Max Verstappen win his first ever World Drivers Championship in 2021.

Red Bull have had difficulty finding a suitable replacement for Perez this season. Lawson struggled from the off before he was replaced by Yuki Tsunoda in March. However, Perez will return to the track after he and Valterri Botas were announced as Cadillac's first ever drivers in F1.

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When the news broke, Verstappen showed his true feelings towards his former colleague. After the announcement, Perez told reporters: "I was surprised by it.

"I was messaged by a lot of drivers. They seem to miss me. I will say the first one was Max [Verstappen], he was straight on.

"Team-mates, [Pierre] Gasly, Franco [Colapinto], they did send a message, and we have a group where most times they put a message, so it was nice to see that they are happy to see me back."

Verstappen's heartfelt message indicates a deep-seated respect and admiration for the Mexican driver, which explains why he made an effort to congratulate him. This isn't the first time Verstappen's fondness for Perez has come to light.

Upon hearing the news, the Dutchman was quick to back Checo, stating Cadillac have made an excellent decision in choosing his former team-mate. He said: "When I saw the news come out, I sent a message to him.

"Of course [I'm] very happy for him that he got a seat. He's a great guy and we always got along very well, so I'm happy to see him back on the grid.

"How he's going to perform I think will also depend on how good the car is going to be. So it's a bit difficult to say at the moment. But it's a new opportunity and I'm sure he's very excited for it."

When questioned if he believes Perez can regain his top form with the new team, Verstappen responded: "It's a fresh start now. From his side, one half [of a season] or a season doesn't define what you can do.

"I think he's also quite easy in [his approach to] that - some people maybe dwell on it a bit more, but for Checo it's a new start, [he'll be] excited, and new cars also. And he has shown a lot of great things even before he got to Red Bull [and] during the Red Bull times. He just needs to go in there, enjoy it again and have a good time."

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