WATCH: “I’m not here to be second,” Max Verstappen comments after Jeddah P2, demonstrates a rift with Sergio Perez  

Max Verstappen is dissatisfied with his second-place performance in Jeddah  Corniche. Wants the squad to address their concerns with reliability.


WATCH: “I’m not here to be second,” Max Verstappen comments after Jeddah P2, demonstrates a rift with Sergio Perez  

Max Verstappen after Jeddah (Credits: Sky Sports F1)

There were some familiar faces on the podium from the Bahrain opener and the Saudi Grand Prix. With Red Bull one and two and Alonso in third, it was the other way around in Red Bull this time, with Sergio Perez claiming the win and Max Verstappen in second. Verstappen was spotted disgruntled after the race. This time in Saudi Arabia, the Dutchman had a more chaotic start to the weekend.

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He had an odd qualifying exit on Saturday after suffering a drive shaft issue in Q2 and had to start the race from the fifteenth place. The duo had a troubled relationship ever since the Brazilian GP last year. It seems to have created a rift between the two Red Bull drivers wherein these issues seemed to have carried over to this season as well. It does not portray a good look for the team that has been very dominant since last season.

Sergio Perez secured the pole, and after a strong battle from Fernando Alonso at the start, he retook the lead and held on to win the race, his fifth of the career. Max Verstappen, on the other hand, had a different race; while it was nothing short of a exuberant, he was not content both during and after the race. Even with a strong finish in second, the Dutchman was dissatisfied with the result stating “ I am not here to be second.” 

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Max Verstappen settles for second place at Jeddah amidst reliability issues with the team 

Sergio Perez and Max Verstappen
Sergio Perez and Max Verstappen (Credits: PlanetF1)

Max had to work his way up the pitch, passing nearly a dozen cars and benefiting from a safety car. By lap 25, the Dutchman had passed Fernando Alonso for second place and was gradually cutting the gap between him and Sergio in first. He came a little over 4 seconds behind the Mexican, but his qualifying woes may have continued.

“Especially when you are also working very hard also back at the factory to make sure you are arrive here in a good state, making sure everything is spot on, and then you have to do a recovery race – which I like, I mean I don’t mind doing it – but when you are fighting for a championship and it looks like it’s between two cars, we have to make sure the two cars are reliable” the Dutchman said. Although he did not retire from the race, he did complain about the troubles on the radio during the final stages of the race. Sergio in front had a brake pedal problem that didn’t bother him too much.

Max Verstappen finished second to his teammate for the first time in 7 years

Max Verstappen
Max Verstappen

To make it home safely, the two-time champion had to back off his push on Sergio, and he is now only one point ahead of the Mexican in the title standings. “At one point I did the calculations; I wouldn’t have been able to close that gap to the end with only 10 laps to left, so at one point I think it is more important to just settle for second, not having an issue with the car” he said.

Sergio had a whiff of a chance for leading the drivers’ championship for the first time ever when he held the extra point for having the fastest lap of the race but Max soon snatched it off from Perez with an astounding lap at the end. Max Verstappen has finished second to his teammate for the first time since Malaysia 2016.

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Red Bull appears to have a solid pace advantage over the rest of the field after the first two races, and the championship appears to be an intra-team contest between the two teammates. It will be interesting to see how the battle plays out and whether any teams challenge Red Bull.

In case you missed it:

F1 Saudi Arabian GP: Fernando Alonso robbed off a historic podium after an incorrectly served penalty

F1 Saudi Arabian GP : Fernando Alonso’s 100th podium is reinstated following a blunder by the FIA

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