The Sprint Race on Saturday gave some excitement for a few minutes when Sergio Perez started off aggressively. That also meant the Mexican race driver shoved his teammate Max Verstappen into the grass, and the latter was furious about it. Therefore, BBC’s Andrew Benson thinks the current world champion will remember this act.
Though, Verstappen, after the race, mentioned that everything was settled between him and Perez once the Mexican told him that he didn’t see the Dutchman coming. However, history proves that what’s on Verstappen’s mind is not what is always on the surface.
In 2022, during the Brazilian Grand Prix, Verstappen refused to help Perez for the runner-up spot in the championship. However, it was soon apparent that Verstappen had a grudge against his teammate since Monaco, where Perez’s Q3 crash in qualifying was allegedly deliberate to deny the Dutchman a pole position.
Max Verstappen is an elephant— He never forgets
So, learning from last year, BBC journalist Benson thinks that Verstappen won’t forget Perez shoving him outside the track. Thus, mentioning this incident is one of the triggers for future tensions between the two drivers.
“[Max] Verstappen is like an elephant. I’ve heard that phrase used for him by the Red Bull team. He doesn’t forget, it is all that means,” said Benson on the chequered flag podcast after the Sprint race.
Instantly, podcast host Harry Benjamin connected that comment with what happened in Sao Paulo. Benson even claims that despite Red Bull ensuring that they have solved the conflict after Brazil, he reveals it hasn’t been properly talked about in their paddock. Thus, This incident in Austria will add to the friction between the two teammates.
Sergio Perez angers Red Bull boss
Helmut Marko was surely not pleased with what Perez did on the track on Saturday evening. According to the Red Bull chief, every move made by Perez after turn 1 wasn’t necessary.
Speaking to the media, Marko reveals that he will have a chat about this with Perez. The Mexican race driver is lucky that his actions on the track didn’t cost his team in terms of results anyway. He managed to clinch P2 right behind his teammate.
But doubts over his stay in the team are already looming. With possibly the fastest car on the grid, the 33-year-old driver missed Q3 entry in qualifying for the fourth time in a row this year. His gap against his teammate is another concern, which can trigger Red Bull to axe him if they get their hands on a better prospect.
But as of now, as Marko recently said, he is safe until Perez is aiding Red Bull’s claim to the constructors’ title. So, for at least 2024, Perez will likely remain as the Red Bull driver.
