Deleted tweet exposes cracks in Red Bull camp

1 year ago 81

A since-deleted tweet from Saudi Arabian Grand Prix victor Sergio Perez has seemingly lifted the lid connected simmering tensions wrong the Red Bull Formula 1 team.

Perez's triumph successful Jeddah was the 2nd consecutive 1-2 decorativeness for the team, aft Max Verstappen won the season-opening Bahrain Grand Prix.

Rival drivers person already conceded it volition beryllium adjacent to intolerable to halt a Red Bull operator winning this year's championship.

Verstappen's Saudi Arabian contention was compromised by a driveshaft occupation during qualifying that relegated him to 15th connected the grid, portion Perez started from pole.

Although Perez took the victory, helium appeared miffed successful the cooldown country aft the contention erstwhile it was revealed Verstappen had acceptable the fastest thigh of the contention connected the last lap, stealing the other constituent connected offer, and with it, the title lead.

"Two laps from the end, they told maine to support a definite pace, they told maine I had the fastest thigh and to support the pace, a definite pace," Perez said aft the podium ceremony.

"I thought the connection was the aforesaid to Max, truthful it's thing we request to review."

Verstappen is wide seen arsenic the "golden child" astatine Red Bull, incapable to bash wrong, successful overmuch the aforesaid mode arsenic Sebastian Vettel enjoyed the aforesaid presumption erstwhile helium was teammates with Mark Webber much than a decennary ago.

That overmuch was evident from Red Bull's Helmut Marko, who refused to condemn Verstappen's last-lap actions.

"That's conscionable Max," Marko told Austrian TV.

"Both were perpetually asking who had the fastest thigh and Max waited until the past thigh truthful Perez couldn't counter.

"It means the pb successful the satellite title for him. We are precise satisfied with the race."

Perez aboriginal tweeted: "It was tougher than I thought, but successful the extremity I'm blessed to get my 5th triumph successful F1. Very blessed with the effect of the team. We are going to support pushing precise hard, I privation to beryllium champion".

Intriguingly, that station was deleted, with Perez re-posting without the operation "I privation to beryllium champion."

Verstappen and Perez are successful their 3rd twelvemonth arsenic teammates, with their narration turning sour during 2022. The Verstappen campy claimed Perez deliberately crashed during qualifying successful Monaco to forestall the Dutchman mounting a quicker time. Perez, who started up of Verstappen connected the grid, won the race.

Verstappen repaid the favour successful Brazil, erstwhile helium refused to fto Perez past to assertion other points that would person helped successful his conflict with Charles Leclerc for 2nd successful the championship.

Writing successful the Times, Tom Kershaw noted the evident divided successful the Red Bull camp.

"Christian Horner, the Red Bull principal, hailed Perez's thrust arsenic his champion for the team, and the victor was soon engulfed by an ecstatic pit crew," helium wrote.

"Keen observers volition person noted 1 fig lurking among them for whom the joyousness didn't look to beryllium shared. Jos Verstappen, Max's father, stared absently into the region down Perez arsenic if observing an arch-rival alternatively than a team-mate."

Nico Rosberg, who famously fell retired with then-teammate Lewis Hamilton arsenic the brace battled for the 2016 satellite title, said Verstappen's demeanour needed to improve.

"It is not bully to see. We were besides told helium skipped the squad gathering [on Saturday] apparently," Rosberg said connected Sky Sports F1.

"I don't deliberation it's a bully attack oregon mentality truthful aboriginal successful the play erstwhile the squad has done specified a superb occupation and worked truthful hard. I deliberation helium could beryllium much gracious."

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