Max Verstappen demands stern team discussion after a heated altercation with Sergio Perez after the Austrian GP Sprint

The duo ended up bickering in the pitlane after the race concluded.

Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez arguing (Credits: Motor Sport Magazine)

Championship leader Max Verstappen won the sprint race ahead of the Austrian GP in dominant fashion. However, the incident involving Verstappen and his teammate Sergio Perez has become a major talking point. The pair were involved in two altercations on lap 1, which resulted in complaints on team radio, as well as a heated deliberation in the pitlane after the race concluded.

During the race, Verstappen briefly lost the lead to Perez as they entered turn 1. However, Perez squeezed Verstappen onto the grass as they approached turn 2. Recovering, the two-time world champion swiftly regained the upper hand at the hairpin of turn 3, slightly forcing Perez off the track to reclaim the lead. Speaking after the race, Verstappen voiced his thoughts on the incident, citing the need for a strong debrief.

“It could have been a really big shunt. We need to have a chat about that, it was really not ok,” he said on his team radio. After the race, he said, “It was a little bit of a hairy moment out of Turn 1 and when you get forced onto the grass, it is very slippery. But we managed to keep the car under control and from there onwards, we just did our race.”

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Giving his own version of events, Sergio Perez said, “I think Max was angry that I went into Turn 2, but I didn’t see him there, once I realised he was there I opened up the door. It is fine, we spoke about it.” Ultimately, the Red Bull duo took 1-2 in the sprint ahead of their home race to follow.

Christian Horner gives his verdict on the battle between Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez

Max Verstappen, Sergio Perez and Christian Horner (Credits: PlanetF1)

After two tense incidents which could well have sabotaged Red Bull’s result at the sprint at their own backyard, Red Bull team principal Christian Horner has spoken out on how he judged the hard, fierce racing between his drivers around the partially wet Red Bull Ring. Speaking after the race, he believes that the incidents at turn 1 and 3 were a prime example of hard and fair racing.

However, speaking on the tense moment between his drivers at turn 2, the Briton believes Perez didn’t see his counterpart due to the lack of visibility on track. He said, “The bit in the middle was where it got a bit tasty but I think Checo maybe didn’t see Max.” Christian Horner also emphasized how the rules are clear to his lineup, to race hard but to leave appropriate space for each other.

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Despite Perez putting up a strong fight for the race lead, he couldn’t hold Max Verstappen at bay, as the Dutchman went on to win the 24 lap sprint with a commanding 21 second lead over his counterpart. In a race which saw split tire strategies due to the transition from a wet to dry track, chaos ensued from lap 17, but the leading pair kept track position and brought home the 1-2 finish.

The Dutchman has now added 8 points to his total, with Perez adding 7 to his own. This leaves the gap between them at a staggering 70 points, with Sunday’s race yet to ensue. With the Mexican starting in a lowly P15 in contrast to Verstappen on pole, it seems highly likely Verstappen is only set to widen that 70 point gap.