Christian Horner feels it’s immensely crucial to prevent ‘paranoia creep’ between Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez

Christian Horner has shed light on the importance of keeping both the Red Bull drivers happy during the ongoing campaign.


Christian Horner feels it’s immensely crucial to prevent ‘paranoia creep’ between Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez

Max Verstappen, Christian Horner, and Sergio Perez (via IMAGO)

Christian Horner, the Red Bull Team Principal, has made it known that it is of utmost importance for Red Bull to make sure that no kind of paranoia arises between its drivers during the ongoing campaign. Horner is of the opinion that any kind of mistrust between the team and drivers could derail Red Bull’s ongoing F1 campaign.

After four races, Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez scored two wins and are extremely close to each other in the Drivers Championship. Keeping this in view, Horner, ahead of the Miami GP, has said, “I think that it’s a luxury problem. First of all, any team principal in the pitlane would hope to have that issue, and it’s something we’ve experienced before.”

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The most key thing is to ensure that paranoia doesn’t creep in and that both drivers are treated equally. You go to pains to provide equality to the point of who drives out the garage first each weekend. They even alternate in the debrief over who talks first. But you know, it’s racing, it’s Formula 1, and occasionally something will happen like a safety car or pitstop. You can’t control every aspect within the sport and there are still variables.

The Brit has admitted that despite the Milton-Keynes-based team being in a strong position in both Championships, it is extremely crucial for the team to make its drivers feel that they are treated equally, that the team is not partial toward anyone, and is going to support both Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez throughout the season. However, he has indicated the fact that sometimes the sport can throw curve balls that no one can prepare for.

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Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez are free to fight in 2023

Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez
Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez

Max Verstappen is considered the ‘golden boy’ of the Red Bull F1 team, and before this year, no one was really able to pose a challenge to him at Red Bull. However, the story this year is completely different, Sergio Perez has looked in sensational form, and it is a very real possibility that he would be able to pose a stiff challenge against Verstappen until the end of the 2023 campaign.

Christain Horner keeping the whole season into view, said, “I think so long as the drivers know that they’re both getting an equal chance, and it’s ultimately down to what they do on the circuit. That’s where you want it to play out, not through reliability, for example, to play a key role in a championship fight between your two drivers within your own team.

Horner has given both Sergio Perez and Max Verstappen the green signal to have a serious go at each other and has assured that the team will support both of them. The upcoming Miami GP is going to act as a tie-breaker between the two drivers, and taking everything that has happened around Red Bull so far, who do you see coming away with the bragging rights for the weekend’s race?

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