29/03/2019
NEWS STORY
It is widely said that your teammate is your toughest rival, for in most cases both drivers have the same equipment which makes comparison relatively easy.
For ultra-intense rivalry between teammates, one has to look no further than Sergio Perez and Esteban Ocon who for two seasons fought tooth and nail with such ferocity that it often ended in tears, not to mention team orders forbidding them to race one another.
As Ocon is reduced to watching the 2019 season from the sidelines, the Frenchman having failed to secure a seat, his former teammate took the opportunity to fire another shot, while also ingratiating himself with his team's new owners.
Speaking in Bahrain, two weeks after his teammate scored his first points for Racing Point, Perez claims that Lance Stroll is quicker than Ocon.
"There is no surprise," the Mexican told reporters when asked about Stroll's debut race with the team. "He has the speed, the talent, he works hard. I think he's going to be constantly scoring points, which is great for the team.
"It's so hard to judge someone, as so much is related to the performance of the car in F1," he added.
Asked how the Canadian compares to former teammate like Ocon and Nico Hulkenberg, the Mexican said: "In a way Esteban and Nico had quite a similar approach, they always seemed to struggle a lot with race pace, but with Lance, his race pace is, from all the team-mates, the closest to mine.
"In qualifying he can deliver too," he added. "He's already, on Sundays, quite good. I was quite surprised because going for a long run I seemed to find it a bit easier with my previous team-mates, but it's not the case now. He has a good understanding. It's good, it's what you need to score points, especially with this tight midfield."
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