Jos Verstappen seems to have aimed a subtle dig at Sergio Perez after the Mexican won the Saudi Arabian GP. Perez defeated Jos’ son, Max Verstappen, by over five seconds this past Sunday to claim his fifth F1 win.
While Red Bull was delighted to see both Perez and Max clinch a 1-2 for the team, the same cannot be said for Jos. He not only seemed to blank Perez during the celebrations but also seems to have now posted some derogatory remarks.
The 51-year-old has claimed that Perez doesn’t win that often and that the Red Bull driver also knows it’s a fact. Jos also added that had things gone his son’s way, he would have undoubtedly clinched pole position and perhaps also won the race.
Jos Verstappen seemingly aims another dig at Sergio Perez
While speaking after the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix (as quoted by Formule1.nl), Jos Verstappen said, “I don’t think he [Perez] gets the chance that often. He sees that too and then goes for it”.
As for Max’s performance, Jos explained how qualifying cost his son a victory. The 25-year-old only managed to qualify in 15th after he failed to register a lap time in Q2 due to a driveshaft issue.
Jos Verstappen getting caught up in the Sergio Perez celebrations 😅 pic.twitter.com/R8vXNNQ4Cw
— ESPN F1 (@ESPNF1) March 19, 2023
Consequently, Sunday’s main race became all about damage limitation for Max. The Dutchman did an outstanding job at that, as he ended up finishing second, only behind his Red Bull teammate.
Jos believes that had Max not faced these issues, the latter would have easily clinched the pole position on Saturday. The 51-year-old believes such a qualifying result would have also made it easier for Max to win the race.
Max Verstappen’s lead in the championship drops to just one point
Max Verstappen entered the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix weekend as the championship leader after an outstanding win in Bahrain. The Dutchman’s victory helped him earn a seven-point lead in the championship from his teammate, Sergio Perez.
However, Perez fought back by clinching a fantastic victory in Saudi Arabia from the pole position. The Mexican dominated the entire weekend and had an extra point for the fastest lap until the race’s final lap.
Had Perez clinched that extra point, he would have ended the weekend as the championship leader by one point. However, an opportunistic Verstappen ensured he still held the upper hand in this championship battle.
The flying Dutchman clinched the fastest lap on the race’s final lap and, as a result, will now enter the third round in Australia as the championship leader by one point. The race in Melbourne will take place from March 31 to April 2.
