Despite the scintillating performance, tension is high in the Red Bull garage. After the last-moment snatch of the fastest lap in Saudi Arabia, it is believed the chances of friction between the two drivers increased significantly.
Former F1 driver Timo Glock is of the opinion that the team must prepare itself for the upcoming civil war between Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez for ultimate dominance. As per Sky Sports Germany, Glock wrote in his column that he sees teammate rivalry in the Austrian team in the future. After the fastest lap snatch by Verstappen in Jeddah, Perez is certainly not happy, he thinks.
1-2 BULLS ON THE PODIUM. MASSIVE NIGHT FOR THE TEAM.
👉 VAMOS. @SChecoPerez‘s 5th Grand Prix Victory tonight!
👉 CRAZY comeback for @Max33Verstappen starting in P15.#F1 #RedBullRacing #SaudiArabianGP pic.twitter.com/ehkh5TLwU5
— Oracle Red Bull Racing (@redbullracing) March 19, 2023
The fastest lap incident was expected to go under an internal discussion as the Dutch pilot seemed to have ignored the team call on the radio. The two-time world champion snatched the 1 point from his teammate to keep his spot on top of the table.
Given the Mexican driver is ready to fight for the championship with his Dutch teammate, things can turn really tensive at Milton Keynes. Moreover, Glock expects the Mexican to steer out of any moves that support the 25-year-old in the future.
Why is the friction between Verstappen and Perez imminent?
The 2023 F1 season has started with Red Bull being absolutely dominant. With Aston Martin, Mercedes, and Ferrari doing little to dethrone the fastest-ever RB-19s, Verstappen and Perez seem to be the only contenders for the title so far.
After last year’s Brazilian GP incident, things are sterner between the duo. Even though the team said everything is alright between the two, it’s far from reality.
Checo Perez, about Max Verstappen not giving him the position in Brazil:
🗣 “I’m very surprised, I don’t know what happened, especially for everything I’ve done for him. I think if he has 2 championships it’s thanks to me.” #BrazilGP pic.twitter.com/P6oBHvLHkc
— AnythingF1 (@AnythingF1_) November 13, 2022
With the former Racing Point driver repeatedly saying that he is here for the championship, he is expected to leave no room for the Dutchman. Furthermore, Verstappen’s habit of not allowing anyone to tell him what to do can further lead to conflict, believes Glock.
Jos Verstappen took a subtle dig at Perez
If Verstappen Jr. wasn’t happy with P2 in Jeddah, his father Jos Verstappen was unhappier. This was evident in the footage that was seen when the Mexican driver went to the team to celebrate his win.
Verstappen Sr. was standing next to the team when Perez came to celebrate his win after the race. The former racing driver stood there with a stern face, seemingly unhappy with the outcome.
As Verstappen Sr’s this side has come out in public, he recently took another dig at the former Force India driver. He said that the 33-year-old wouldn’t have won the Jeddah race if his son would’ve started from the pole position.
