This weekend, Formula One returns to Interlagos for the Brazilian Grand Prix, one year after the contentious incident in which Max Verstappen defied Red Bull’s orders to assist teammate Sergio Perez.
At the Brazilian Grand Prix, Max Verstappen believes Sergio Perez can defeat Lewis Hamilton on his own.
The 2023 drivers’ championship has already been claimed by the Dutchman, so Perez still needs to put in more effort to stay in second place. The 33-year-old is only 20 points ahead of Hamilton in the drivers’ standings following his crash in Mexico last weekend.
Like Red Bull, Perez is desperate to maintain his position in the rankings. The team has never achieved a one-two finish in the championship, and since they have already won both, it is now all that remains for them to strive for in 2023.
The Mexican was narrowly beaten by Charles Leclerc to take second place in the previous race. That followed a well-publicized altercation between the two Red Bull drivers at the conclusion of the Brazilian race the previous year.
Perez was instructed to allow Verstappen to pass so that the latter could attempt to pass Fernando Alonso. He complied, but after the Dutchman was unable to pass the Spaniard, he was instructed to return the position to his teammate.
Verstappen shouted over the radio that he didn’t like being asked to give the place up, while Perez told the team: “This shows who [Verstappen] really is.” Red Bull insisted that the air had been cleared afterwards but there was a sense that it affected their relationship for many months.
Naturally, Verstappen was asked by reporters in Sao Paulo on Thursday if he would be willing to be more helpful to his team-mate this weekend if a similar scenario arises. In response, he almost dodged the question and suggested Perez should have the car to get the job done himself.
In the end, he said, “I don’t think it should always be on me to get the points.” “I believe that Checo can maintain his lead because, on average, our car is faster.
“I believe that prior to the race weekend last year, it wasn’t really well discussed. I just hope that’s not what happens to us. I believe that everyone benefits from it.”
In response to a different query, Verstappen implied that Perez’s status as his 2024 teammate is still up in the air. He remarked, “We have a good working relationship if it’s Checo next year.” “We’ll have fun if it’s Daniel [Ricciardo].” F1 is a challenging sport.
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