Verstappen: As my father says – you have to destroy your teammate

The Mexican race winner replaces Alex Albon for the 2021 Formula 1 season after the 24-year-old struggled to keep up with the rapid Dutchman last season.

While Verstappen picked up two race wins and was a constant challenger to the two Mercedes cars, Albon was on the podium just twice.

Looking ahead to taking on a fourth different teammate in four years, Verstappen said that he hoped Perez could help "bring the team forward".

“In the end I beat everyone, and that’s good,” he told Ziggo Sport. “As my father always says – you have to destroy your teammate.”

“Of course. You have to be faster than your teammate. I know that Sergio is aiming for the same.

“I think that’s good, because it’s the only way to bring the team forward with both cars, as was the case at Red Bull with Daniel.”

Perez enjoyed one of his best years in F1 in 2020, finishing fourth in the standings and picking up his first race win at the Sakhir Grand Prix. The 30-year-old also came second at the Turkish Grand Prix in Istanbul.