“We are still going to be in love,” Max Verstappen feels Sergio Perez and himself will remain on good terms even in a Championship Fight

Sergio Perez and Max Verstappen celebrating at the Monaco Grand Prix.

In his first top 6 start at Monaco, Sergio Perez took the victory at the crown jewel of the Formula 1 calendar, snatching victory from the jaws of Charles Leclerc with a brilliant strategic overcut. This was his first victory of the season, his first since Baku last season, and his second overall.

This victory brought him to within 15 points of the championship leader, and who most people feel is Red Bull’s primary driver – The Reigning World Champion, Max Verstappen. For many, this assumption was affirmed when Perez was told to concede the race lead to his teammate at the Spanish Grand last month. Verstappen clearly had more pace, but it could not have felt nice to concede a race lead without a fight at all.

However, after the Mexican’s victory in Monaco, Christian Horner asserted that this was not the case, and the drivers were on an equal footing for the time being. In a post-race interview with Sky Sports, Horner told reporters:

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“He’s in this championship just as much as Max is. The difference between the two of them is 15 points now, it’s nothing, so it’s a long way to go in this championship.”

Championship battles between teammates tend to get nasty. Alain Prost and Ayrton Senna, Nico Rosberg and Lewis Hamilton, Fernando Alonso and Lewis Hamilton, and Sebastian Vettel and Mark Webber are examples of this. As a result, this can lead to a situation where the race results are compromised for the team – especially when they crash together, or drivers ignore team orders. Max Verstappen believes him and Sergio Perez will be different, owing to their fantastic relationship off-track.

Also Read: “It’s a luxurious problem to have,” Allan McNish reckons Sergio Perez’s rich form set to give Christian Horner a headache

Max Verstappen on teammate Sergio Perez: “We respect each other a lot.”

Sergio Perez and Max Verstappen in a press conference.

Verstappen doubted the relationship between him and Sergio Perez will deteriorate to the levels of the previously mentioned drivers. He said:

“I don’t think so, in terms of whether the relationship will change. We have a good…” At this moment, Perez interrupted the Dutch driver to joke: “We are still going to be in love, right?”

Verstappen’s reaction to this was positive, and he responded: “Yeah, absolutely. Why would that change?”

“We work really well as a team. We always try to optimise the car and work for the team and we can accept when somebody does a good job or does a better job I think that’s very important because that’s how you are respectful to each other. And may the best man win at the end, right?“

Verstappen continued: “We always, of course, trying to do the best we can on the track but we also respect each other a lot and try to score the most possible points every single weekend for the team.”

It is clear that the relationship between the Red Bull duo is harmonious, but one cannot truly predict the future. The drivers and Red Bull would both hope that this relationship remains harmonious even if they are locked into a championship fight with each other. The signs are certainly pointing in that direction.

Also Read: “He was faster than Max Verstappen,” Emerson Fittipaldi praises Sergio Perez for an utterly dominant display in Monaco

Also Read: “Monaco win shows how hard it is,” Sergio Perez highlights the obstacles for non-Europeans to make a mark in F1