Max Verstappen told Red Bull not to issue him with team orders again after refusing to gift a position to Sergio Perez in Sao Paulo GP.
Max Verstappen : Team orders | Team radio | Crash
Verstappen is the son of racing drivers Jos Verstappen, who also competed in Formula One, and Sophie Kumpen.
He had a successful run in junior karting and single-seater categories – including KF3, WSK World Series, KZ2 and European Formula 3 – beating several records.
At the 2015 Australian Grand Prix, when he was aged 17 years, 166 days, he became the youngest driver to compete in Formula One.
Max Verstappen team orders
Max Verstappen told Red Bull not to issue him with team orders again after refusing to gift a position to Sergio Perez in the Sao Paulo Grand Prix.
Perez is trying to achieve the main target left unfulfilled for Red Bull this season – a one-two finish in the Drivers’ Championship, with Verstappen long since confirmed as a back-to-back title-holder.
The Mexican is involved in a straight fight with Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc for P2, with their scores now locked on 290 points apiece going into the season finale in Abu Dhabi.
But Perez would have had an advantage if Verstappen had obeyed team orders and allowed his colleague to overtake him for sixth position in the Sao Paulo Grand Prix.
The positions were not where the Red Bull duo are usually racing as Mercedes took a one-two finish through George Russell and Lewis Hamilton, who was involved in an early collision with his 2021 title rival Verstappen.
However, the team knew the importance in the closing stages of Perez finishing ahead of the Dutchman – who nevertheless rejected an instruction to swap places.
Team radio
An irritable Max Verstappen refused to give up sixth place to Red Bull team-mate Sergio Perez on the final laps of Sunday’s Sao Paulo Grand Prix with a rasping rebuke on team radio.
The world champion, who collided with his 2021 title rival seven-time champion Lewis Hamilton on lap seven of a stormy race, told his race engineer not to ask him to concede position again in stern fashion.
The Dutchman, who clinched his second drivers’ title at last month’s Japanese Grand Prix, was disappointed and frustrated at his fate in an incident-filled race that saw Red Bull miss out on a podium finish for the first time since the season-opening Bahrain Grand Prix.
“Max let Checo through, please,” his engineer had asked him, the team seeking to assist their Mexican driver in his bid to finish ahead of Charles Leclerc in the drivers’ championship.
As a result, in a race won by George Russell, who claimed his maiden triumph ahead of team-mate and compatriot seven-time champion Lewis Hamilton, Perez is level with Ferrari’s Leclerc on 290 points, but the Monegasque is second as he has one more race win this season.
Asked in an interview on Sky Sports F1 to explain his decision not to cooperate with the Red Bull team and help Perez, Verstappen said he had his own reasons.
“The team asked, yes,” he said. “But, I had my reasons for that and we have discussed it and talked about it – so we have drawn a line under that now and we move on from here.
Max Verstappen crash
Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton clashed in the early stages of the Brazilian Grand Prix.
Both drivers dropped back as a result, but Verstappen had to come in for a pit stop due to damage to his Red Bull.
The race had only just resumed after an early safety car when the 2021 rivals clashed. Verstappen was on Hamilton’s tail, but the Mercedes driver was not easily willing to let the Dutchman get away with his second place.
What followed was a moment of contact between the two, with debris flying around and Verstappen hit the side of the track. Miraculously, both drivers were able to continue their way, although the damage to Verstappen was considerable.
He fell back quickly and had to come in for a stop, while Hamilton lost a few places and was able to continue his way without major problems.
Verstappen needed to pit for a new front wing, coming off worse after the clash.
Hamilton was second, Verstappen third, at the time of contact behind George Russell. But they both dropped down the order as a result.
Verstappen was given a five-second time penalty for the incident.
Daniel Ricciardo and Kevin Magnussen had already crashed out in the early exchanges, causing the Safety Car.