In Red Bull they have already won everything: Constructors’ Championship, Drivers’ Championship (Max Verstappen) and have several shot records. What can happen so that the situation dreamed of by all becomes a nightmare in the box of energy drinks?
The ego and rancor between its two pilots (Sergio ‘Checo’ Perez and Max Verstappen) has blown up a season that until the last lap of the Brazilian Grand Prix seemed perfect.
You want to know more? It’s 3 min.
The context. The first positions seemed defined. Only Fernando Alonso He had sneaked into the party of the three leading teams (Red Bull, Ferrari and Mercedes). On lap 67 of 71, Verstappen advanced to Perez in his attempt to reach a fifth place that Fernando Alonso kept as a treasure that only the alpine reliability I could steal from him. The intention of the Dutch stayed at that, in pretense. He couldn’t win anything, but his partner, Pérez, could.
- The Mexican is playing to be second in the World Cup. His rival for the runner-up is charles leclerc with whom, after the race in Brazil, he is tied on points (290). Knowing what was at stake, the following conversation was heard over the Red Bull radio:
– Engineer: “Don’t worry about the DRS, let ‘Checo’ through.”
– Engineer: “Let ‘Checo’ pass!”.
– Engineer: “Max, let ‘Checo’ come in, please!”
The order admits no doubt, but the race ends and the two-time world champion, with everything decided, does not return the position to his partner. It is then that his engineer asks him again:
– Engineer: “Max, what happened?”.
– Verstappen: “I already told you. Is it clear?… I gave you my reasons and I keep thinking about it.”
- The fire was already underway, the action of Verstappen not that it was a small spark, so to speak. The Dutchman used a whole lighter, but the subsequent statements by ‘Checo’ Pérez became a real flamethrower. “If he has won two World Cups it’s thanks to me”, he affirmed when he couldn’t overtake his teammate.
read between the lines. According to the pilot Tom Colonel and the Dutch journalist Erik VanHaren it all goes back to qualifying for the Monaco GP.
- In the last flying lap of Q3 in the Principality, the Mexican went against the protections at the exit of Portier, which prevented the rest of the drivers from improving their times. Pole went to Charles Leclerc, Carlos Sainz completed the front row of the grid, Sergio Perez finished third and the leader, Max Verstappensettled for fourth position.
- The camera on board of the accident published by F1 shows a small throttle hit at the exit of turn eight. Telemetry shows what the camera reproduces, that little pedal stroke. Caused accident? Who knows? No one except the driver’s own conscience knows the answer, although according to news sources, the Mexican would have confessed it to the team bosses, Helmut Marko Already Christian Horner.
- Fortune, Ferrari’s bad strategy, Pérez’s trick, call it what you want, but ‘Checo’ Pérez ended up winning that race and, at that time, he was only 15 points behind the World Championship leader, Max Verstappen. The champion’s after party was notorious, his renewal came later, but the germ of the war was there.
For note. This is not the first time that drivers have used this tactic at the Monaco GP
- 2014: Mercedes was devastating and alone Lewis Hamilton Y Nico Rossberg they opted for a Championship predestined to the star. Nico Rosberg was leading the time table when he over-braked at mirabeau and locked the path. The rest of the cars that came from behind did not improve, among them, Hamilton, who furiously declared “I would have liked the stewards to have seen the telemetry data that I have seen.” Rosberg got away with it, took pole and won the race.
- 2006: ferrari Y Michael Schumacher They were the greatest rivals of Fernando Alonso that year. By then the scratch was the place chosen by Michael Schumacher for Park his Ferrari and prevent Fernando Alonso from improving the German’s time. On that occasion, the stewards sentenced: “He deliberately stopped the car on the circuit in the last minutes of qualifying.” Pole position and victory went to the Spaniard and the Kaiser started from last position.
What will happen next? Christian Horner is a specialist in dealing with similar situations; a dominant car and two drivers whose individual interests take precedence over the group. Mark Webber Y Sebastian Vettel They remember very well what happened in 2010, 2011 and 2012.
- The situation right now is clear: Max Verstappen He is the unquestionable leader, the one who dictates the rules and the one who, with attitudes like those of Sunday, marks territory. ‘Checo’, despite him, is still the second driver of a team made by and for the new pretty boy of the Red Bull clan.
- The two-time World Champion knows that what he has done is not well seen among the public, his partner and his bosses, but he also knows that this is the best way to impose the desire of a boy who has both talent and ego. Despite this and after the particular punishment of his partner, he will help him in Abu Dhabi.
What are they saying?
- After his bombshell to the media, in the team’s subsequent statement, Pérez eased the tension and affirmed: “I am disappointed by what has happened between Max and myself. We have discussed it internally and we will move forward working together as a team.”
- Max Verstappen has not changed his position and already explained in the playpen to whoever wanted to ask his position: “I have my reasons. We have already discussed it in the team, it is important to make things clear and if ‘Checo’ needs my help, I will I will do”.
- The last one in contention is the referee of this situation. Publicly, Christian Horner has reprimanded the two pilots, has sent them to look at the wall for a while and has stated that “I have already spoken with them. We have discussed it behind closed doors”.
Unconsciously, everyone thinks that one of the two will be lifted before the punishment than the other and that the fire will leave embers that are difficult to put out.
