Albon was seventh in the driver standings and only recorded two podium finishes. Speaking ahead of the FIA Prize Giving Ceremony on Friday, Verstappen gave his reaction to Perez being his new team-mate. And he appeared to take a slight dig at Albon, saying he hopes Perez can provide a stronger team. Max Verstappen has set a challenge for Sergio Perez following the new he's joined Red Bull (Image: GETTY) Verstappen said: “It’s always a bit difficult to fight [Mercedes] and I just hope Checo will be the one, first of all, to push the whole team forward but also keep me on my toes, which is always nice – to have a team-mate pushing you – it’s exciting.