Verstappen and his Red Bull team have already been crowned F1 champions. But tension embroiled the Red Bull camp during Brazilian Grand Prix on Sunday.
Verstappen and his teammate Sergio Perez seemed to be in disagreement at the end of the race. Perez, who is still fighting for second place in the drivers’ championship, was sixth when he was overtaken by Verstappen near the end of the race and finished behind him. Team radio shows Verstappen was ordered to allow Perez to finish ahead of him to score more points, but the champion disagreed.
Perez will enter the final race of the season tied on points with Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc, who finished fourth at Interlagos.
Tension after the flag for Max and Checo 🏁#BrazilGP #F1 pic.twitter.com/hyEX5OZwa9
— Formula 1 (@F1) November 13, 2022
“I told you already. You guys don’t ask that again to me. Are you clear about that? I gave you my reasons and I stand by it,” Verstappen said after he was asked by team bosses why he had not allowed Perez to overtake.
Perez sounded upset on team radio. “It shows who he really is,” he said.
Later, the Mexican told journalists Verstappen won his two world championships because of him.
However, after the drivers left the Interlagos track, both teammates attempted to temper their dispute.
“If there’s a chance to help him in Abu Dhabi, then I will be there, and I will of course support him,” Verstappen said, according to a statement shared by Red Bull.
Perez seemed to accept the apologies. “It is something we have discussed internally, we will move on and keep working together as a team,” he said.
The Brazilian GP was the penultimate race of the season ahead of Abu Dhabi on November 20.
– With AP inputs
