Formula One: Max Verstappen, Sergio Perez battle shows Red Bull far from unbeatable at Australian Grand Prix
Both Sergio Perez and Max Verstappen have made their feelings clear about playing the supporting role in F1, so how will this fiery relationship play out?
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Red Bull team principal Christian Horner’s biggest challenge this year is not winning another constructors championship but managing the simmering tensions between his two drivers that could derail individual and team success.
In one corner of the garage, is Red Bull’s dual world champion, Dutchman Max Verstappen.
In the other, Sergio Perez, the Mexican driver who wants to be world champion.
It has been labelled the battle that Formula One needs - the teammate tussle to add spice to a season that, after two races, already shapes as a Red Bull procession.
The tensions between Verstappen and Perez again boiled over in Saudi Arabia after the former snagged the fastest lap from his race-winning teammate to ensure a one-point lead at the top of the drivers’ championship standings.
Not since Hamilton and Nico Rosberg’s fiery inter-garage feud at Mercedes have we seen two teammates battle so fiercely for a world championship.
Horner has been warned he faces a delicate balancing act managing his two drivers and would need to use “kid gloves”.
“I think that it’s going to be a bit of a balancing act for Christian Horner and the Red Bull team in general,” 1980 world champion Alan Jones said.
“When you have got two very talented blokes like that, and particularly I think they are only separated by one point now in the championship, it’s a very delicate walking act.
“I think that it is going to have to be managed with kid gloves.”
In what looms as a one-team fight for the constructors’ title, it leaves Red Bull’s two drivers battling for the drivers’ championship.
While he acknowledged the big diplomatic job Horner faced, Jones said the feuding Bulls was the spice the season needed if the team was going to continue to dominate.
“The only way we could have it more interesting I suppose is if Perez takes it up to him (Verstappen) and we enjoy a bit of rivalry between the two team drivers,” Jones said.
“I don’t mind that from time to time - a bit of aggro.
“I think that can provide just as much entertainment off the track as what it can on.”
World champion Damon Hill said the result in Saudi Arabia showed Perez was not content playing the supporting act to Verstappen.
Perez was clearly unhappy with his teammate’s fastest lap stunt, declaring after the race in Jeddah that he would seek a team review over the top time fallout.
“Sergio did a great job in Saudi Arabia and he is making it clear that he is not to be considered No.2, necessarily.” the 1996 world champion and Channel 10 commentator said.
“But I think that the investment in Max is so huge at Red Bull and (for) the future they pin quite a lot on Max being around in their team for a long time, so Sergio has got that to contend with.”
The praise for Perez and his work in keeping Lewis Hamilton at bay during the controversial 2021 title-deciding Abu Dhabi Grand Prix appears to have been forgotten.
“When you know this is a title-winning car and in Sergio’s case this might be the best chance he’s ever going to get to win a title, sometimes it’s very difficult to think about the team as a whole when you’re in the heat of battle,” Sky Sports F1 Commentator David Croft said.
After Perez’s victory in Jeddah he proudly tweeted of his desire to fight for the championship, only to quickly delete and re-post the tweet without reference to his title aspirations.
Verstappen’s push for the fastest lap, which ensured the reigning champion remained one point ahead of his teammate, showed the Dutch driver’s hand – he wants to remain on top, no matter how early in the season.
We are yet to see the two Red Bulls drive wheel-to-wheel but it will happen at some point this season – perhaps even in Melbourne – and when it does, all eyes will be on them.
“Sergio will keep pushing him hard and if need be Max will get his elbows out because he wants to be numero uno and keep that number one on his car, so it’s a thrilling dynamic,” Croft said.
“I’m not saying in any way, shape or form that Sergio will disrupt the team, but he is going to give it the best go he possibly can.
“If the Red Bull is the dominant car we all think it is, let’s hope the two of them are going head-to-head because that may just be the best story at the front out of this season.
The perfect view of the track 🤩
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“Let’s face it, when it was Hamilton and Rosberg we loved some of those battles over the course of time when they were teammates. Maybe this Verstappen-Perez is the Hamilton-Rosberg of 2023.
“Max can win championships, win races and take pole positions – he has that consistency in his locker in terms of winning that Sergio hasn’t shown as yet. But it’s another year at Red Bull, he’s even more familiar with the team, he says the car is a bit more to his liking … so go out and take it to the champ.
“I’m just hoping that Sergio can be a little more consistent this year and he can give us that title fight that we want to see; I’m sure Max wants that as well.
“Who wants to win at a canter? That’s easy. Sometimes you want to win the hard way, it becomes more valuable that way.”
Even Red Bull’s most fierce Formula One rivals are conceding the title fight – but all is not as rosy as it may seem at Milton Keynes.
Just two races into the 2023 season and Red Bull has quickly established itself as the pre-eminent favourite to repeat its double championship dose, with consecutive one-two finishes in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia.
It took Max Verstappen less than half race distance to climb from 15th into second at Jeddah; not even the uber-impressive Fernando Alonso dared duel with the flying Dutchman and his RB19.
Fans are rightfully asking the question: Is this the most dominant car we’ve seen in modern Formula One?
Mercedes produced some rocket ships in the early years of the turbo hybrid era, but by season’s end we could well have a new high watermark for F1 dominance.
And yet, Sky Sports F1 Commentator David Croft believes it’s far too early to declare Red Bull the champions-elect.
“I think any time you feel that one team is just having it really easy out in front you’re probably barking up the wrong tree in Formula One, because a lot can go wrong,” Croft told News Corp Australia.
Verstappen only started in 15th after he was forced to retire from Q2 due to a drive shaft issue – something he was clearly worried about in the dying stages of the race – while Sergio Perez also reported concerns with his rear axle and brakes as he coasted to the chequered flag.
Some may have shrugged it off because both Red Bulls finished the race atop the podium, but Croft said there was more at play than what is on the surface.
“I was led to believe even before the Saudi race there might have been issues in Bahrain that were affecting the team a little bit,” he said.
“I do believe Red Bull when they say they had to manage things for reliability – I was told something about Bahrain where reliability could have reared its ugly head in that one.”
So the Red Bull isn’t infallible and neither are its drivers – at least that’s how it appears.
There remains a simmering tension between Verstappen and Perez which again tipped over in Saudi Arabia after the former snagged the fastest lap from his race-winning teammate.
The praise for Perez and his work in keeping Lewis Hamilton at bay during the controversial 2021 title-deciding Abu Dhabi Grand Prix appears to have been forgotten.
In what looms as a one-team fight for the constructors’ title, it leaves Red Bull’s two drivers battling for the drivers’ championship.
“When you know this is a title-winning car and in Sergio’s case this might be the best chance he’s ever going to get to win a title, sometimes it’s very difficult to think about the team as a whole when you’re in the heat of battle,” Croft said.
After Perez’s victory in Jeddah he proudly tweeted of his desire to fight for the championship, only to quickly delete and re-post the tweet without reference to his title aspirations.
Verstappen’s push for fastest lap, which ensured the reigning champion remained one point ahead of his teammate, showed the Dutch driver’s hand – he wants to remain on top, no matter how early in the season.
But Perez was clearly miffed by his teammate’s decision, declaring after the race in Jeddah that he would seek a team review over the fastest lap fallout.
We are yet to see the two Red Bulls drive wheel-to-wheel but it will happen at some point this season – perhaps even in Melbourne – and when it does, all eyes will be on them.
Not since Hamilton and Nico Rosberg’s fiery feud at Mercedes have we seen two teammates battle so fiercely for a world championship.
Croft believes we could be in store for a similar head-to-head battle if Perez can keep touch with Verstappen in the early stages of the season.
“Sergio will keep pushing him hard and if need be Max will get his elbows out because he wants to be numero uno and keep that number one on his car, so it’s a thrilling dynamic,” Croft said.
“I’m not saying in any way, shape or form that Sergio will disrupt the team, but he is going to give it the best go he possibly can.
“If the Red Bull is the dominant cart we all think it is, let’s hope the two of them are going head-to-head because that may just be the best story at the front out of this season.
“Let’s face it, when it was Hamilton and Rosberg we loved some of those battles over the course of time when they were teammates. Maybe this Verstappen-Perez is the Hamilton-Rosberg of 2023.
“Max can win championships, win races and take pole positions – he has that consistency in his locker in terms of winning that Sergio hasn’t shown as yet. But it’s another year at Red Bull, he’s even more familiar with the team, he says the car is a bit more to his liking … so go out and take it to the champ.
“I’m just hoping that Sergio can be a little more consistent this year and he can give us that title fight that we want to see; I’m sure Max wants that as well.
“Who wants to win at a canter? That’s easy. Sometimes you want to win the hard way, it becomes more valuable that way.”
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