[ptack]

You have to understand that every driver drives different. For example in any race drivers may take slightly different lines and approaches to corners. Each team brings 2 cars that are essentially the same, but they will likely be tweaked to best align with each driver. The priority in car development, however, may focus on the lead driver - if there is one, but definitely if one is a current or former world champion. What this means is that in some instances the car inherently may be more optimized for one team driver rather than the other. In addition, each driver has different strengths, physical abilities and personalities. Race results at the top are usually between teams with the best cars - period. It's rare for a second-tier team to win unless there are some special circumstances such as multiple DNFs. Fernando Alonso is an example of this - he's former world champion and unquestionably one of the most talented drivers in F1, but his car simply isn't on the same level with those of the top teams, so Alonso has to try and just be the best of the rest. On the other hand, Perez has basically the same car as Verstappen, but obviously does not have the same talent, though some of his difficultly may be that the car and team are primarily optimized for Verstappen. How much better might Perez do if he was the primary driver? It's impossible to say, but I think he would have better results, but not as good as Verstappen's because he doesn't seem to have the same pure talent.
Talent, skill, endurance and mindset matter a great deal, but winning races requires having the equipment and team support needed to win.