Christian Horner, the Red Bull Team Principal, has made it public that Red Bull has got an agreement in place between Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez. Per the agreement, both drivers would be allowed to race during the 2023 F1 season if they keep it clean on the track and avoid unnecessary tussles.
Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez have won a race in the current campaign. Moreover, the latter is just one point behind the Dutchman in the Drivers Championship. The Milton-Keynes-based team’s Mexican driver was able to hold off Verstappen to win the recently concluded Saudi Arabian Grand Prix. However, the reigning World Champion fell short by an extremely small margin.
Keeping into view how tempers flared between the two at last year’s Brazilian Grand Prix, it can be said that Red Bull has made the right call by having an agreement in place between the two prolific drivers. While shedding light on the same, Horner added, “We’ve got a great car and two great drivers – we talked about it in the briefing earlier today ‘you’re free to race, but you keep it clean’ – but they’re both competitive.”
Christian Horner has admitted that the hierarchy at Red Bull sat down with Verstappen and Perez, and discussed how much liberty the two drivers would be given if they are to race each other during the 2023 F1 season. Moreover, while appreciating Perez for his exploits at the Jeddah Corniche Circuit, Horner specifically added, “Checo, that was I think his greatest Grand Prix.“
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Christian Horner on Red Bull’s dominant display in Jeddah
After the first two races of the 2023 F1 season, the Red Bull F1 team has developed a healthy lead in the World Championship. Many F1 pundits have even said the RB19 is probably the fastest car they have seen in the sport’s history. So far in the season, the Austrian team has managed a 1-2 finish with both its drivers.
The race in Saudi Arabia proved to be another dominant display by the outfit, and while talking about it, Horner added, “The team, all credit to them, have built an incredible car. We thought we had an issue with Max, checked the data and then they were hard at it again. They were both pushing hard and Max got the fastest lap of the race, but what a weekend for him – no fault of his own yesterday with the driveshaft, 15th, he was patient, he picked the cars off – so a phenomenal recovery from him.“
While Sergio Perez won the Saudi Arabian GP, Christian Horner has highlighted the mega drive that Max Verstappen was able to produce in Jeddah. The Dutchman, despite starting the race from P15, was able to burst his way through the cars and was able to end up in an impressive P2 for the team. He also secured the point for the fastest lap of the race.
Things have panned out well for Red Bull so far, but everything can change if Sergio Perez can keep the pressure on Max Verstappen in the Drivers Championship. The Dutchman has already won the Championship twice, whereas Perez is looking to win his maiden world title this year. Considering everything, who could get the better of the other during the 2023 F1 season?
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