Sergio Perez's accomplished victory in the Azerbaijan Grand Prix has confirmed - in his mind at least - that he is a genuine rival to his Red Bull team-mate Max Verstappen for the world championship this year.
Not everyone is as convinced as the Mexican - not even his team principal, judging by Christian Horner's comments afterwards - but Perez certainly laid down a marker around the streets of Baku.
"It's a long year ahead," Perez said after shrugging off everything the two-time champion could throw at him and controlling the race around the streets of this city on the shores of the Caspian Sea. "We are in the fight."
It was a highly accomplished performance from Perez. Arguably - even if he was reluctant to say so himself - the best of his six Formula 1 victories.
Perez did, as Horner said, "get a little bit lucky with the safety car" but, once in the lead, he controlled the race. Throughout a tense grand prix, with both drivers pushing to the limit throughout, Verstappen had no answer for him.
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