Helmut Marko squashes Sergio Perez's ambition to challenge for 2023 F1 title

Sergio Perez's 2023 title challenge is already over, at least according to Helmut Marko, who can't see the Mexican driver challenging Max Verstappen over an entire season.

But he shouldn't take it personally, as Marko doesn't believe anyone can beat Verstappen at the moment.

Verstappen clinched his second World title in 2022; the Red Bull driver was unstoppable as he wrapped up the title with his 12th win in Japan before setting a new single-season record with 15 wins in total.

His teammate Perez managed just two, Monaco and Singapore, and lost out on the runner-up spot in the season's final race, where Charles Leclerc beat him.

Strong start

Although Perez had a strong start to the season, sitting just 15 points behind his teammate after claiming his first victory in Monaco, his challenge soon faded, with the driver saying several times that Red Bull's upgrades for the RB18 favoured Verstappen.

The team denied that their updates were only to make the car lighter and faster, irrespective of whose style it favoured.

With 2022's chapter closed, Perez is looking ahead to next season with the 32-year-old dreaming of becoming Red Bull's next World Champion.

Marko seems to think that's what it is, a dream.

"Checo can certainly win a race or two," he told Sport Bild. "But at the moment, I do not see that he can challenge Max for a whole season.

"In general, I don't see that anyone with the same prerequisites can currently do this."

Next season, Perez will have added pressure on his shoulders after Red Bull signed their former race winner Daniel Ricciardo as their third driver.

While the Aussie has made it clear he's not interested in racing next season, pundits believe he could find himself in the car at some point if Perez's relationship