In 2022 Red Bull he demonstrated the growth made in recent years, demonstrating the excellent solidity of the whole package: riders, team, car. In this perfect mechanism, which confirms what we had already seen in 2021, everything follows a precise order, with few aspects to polish. The basic car proved to be an excellent starting point, with development leading to the perfect formula, seen from Spa onwards. Red Bull was able to play its cards mainly by fighting with an excellent striker – Verstappen – and a good second driver, who also had some exploits: Perez.
Red Bull has always masked the tension well, and more. In particular, the team is not very exposed to criticism and controversy. The relationship with your teammate is always difficult, even when there is a big gap in performance. The couple formed by Max and Perez was a war machine specially created to fight aggressively in the drivers' and constructors' world championship.
With the increase in the competitiveness of the car, expectations towards Perez have also increased, called at least to confirm himself as vice champion. A place that according to Max Verstappen he should have conquered alone, given the lack of help to the Mexican in Brazilian GP. Since then, a series of rumors have emerged, promptly denied by Red Bull, about an incurable and definitive rift between the two. From Germany we would even talk about the Verstappen's will to oust Perez, promoting as second driver his former teammate Daniel Ricciardo, fresh fresh of contract as the third Red Bull driver.
The Verstappen-Perez couple in the balance
At the end of the GP, in Abu Dhabi Max Verstappen said he didn't want to hinder Leclerc at the start because he didn't think it was right to do so. In doing so, he therefore took the first position, leaving his teammate at the mercy of his opponents. With an excellent strategy that took even Red Bull by surprise, the Ferrari managed to get second place in the drivers' championship with Charles Leclerc and the one in the constructors' classification. Perez's faded finish, who didn't end Red Bull's 1-2 draw in the championship, was seen in part as a result of Max's decision not to team up. In view of 2023, the situation for Verstappen, if Perez proves to be fundamental for the world championship, becomes more complicated and not a little. However rumors have come from Germany that Verstappen is pushing to replace Perez as early as 2023, with Daniel Ricciardo.
For F1-Insider, at Red Bull there would already be talk of negotiations to replace Perez, as a result of the dispute with Verstappen and which, unlike what was declared by Red Bull and the protagonists themselves, would never be resolved. “Max Verstappen is far from happy with Sergio Perez and would like to have Daniel Riccardo next to him. THE statements by father Perez show how much tension there is between the two Red Bull drivers and usually these events are just the beginning of the end. Although Perez's contract was extended by two years following the Monaco win, the intentional crash in Monte Carlo qualifying could be reason enough for a resolution advance of the agreement".
Source statements: FormulaPassion
