The Formula 1 Monaco Grand Prix represented real turbulence for Red Bull Racing. First of all, because of the resounding victory of its driver Sergio Checo Perez, which secured him third place in the individual standings. Then, on the horizon of the Austrian team, the controversial celebration of the Mexican driver appeared.
Perez’s euphoria after his third Formula 1 victory, which made him the winningest Mexican driver in history, led him to celebrate excessively. This was revealed by the videos of his celebration leaked on social media, which showed him very drunk and also with a seductive attitude with a woman who is not his wife. Checo was forced to publicly apologize for his actions.
Now, Formula 1’s next stop takes the teams to compete at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix on June 12, a circuit with only 5 years of history. However, at this track, Red Bull Racing would be at risk of having to put out an internal fire that could be started by Sergio Checo Perez.
Azerbaijan and Checo Perez, a combo that could set Red Bull Racing on fire
It is no open secret who the Austrian team’s star driver is. That is the Dutchman Max Verstappen, the current Formula 1 world champion, who is looking for a second championship this season. That preference was noticeable at the Spain Grand Prix when Red Bull asked Checo Perez not to hinder his teammate so he could win the race.
“This is very unfair,” the Mexican driver said over the radio before obeying the order. This nascent tension between the Red Bull Racing teammates would have increased at the Monaco Grand Prix with the victory of Checo Perez. According to the British media Express, Max Verstappen’s father expressed his disappointment with the team for not having given more support to his son to triumph.
The good news and bad news for Red Bull is that the most recent winner of the Azerbaijan Formula 1 Grand Prix is none other than Sergio Checo Perez. The Mexican usually delivers good results at this circuit, as out of the 4 races he has raced there, he has won 1 first place, 1 third place and 1 sixth place. Only in 2017 he did not score because he had to retire due to technical problems.
Given the controversy at Red Bull Racing due to the good moment that both Perez and Verstappen are experiencing, the team’s Team Principal, Christian Horner, has come out to clarify that institutionally there is no preference towards any of its drivers.
“It’s a nice challenge to have, but ultimately they are team players, they are part of the team. It’s not ‘Sergio Perez Racing’ or ‘Max Verstappen Racing’, it’s Red Bull Racing.“, stated Horner recently in an interview for Bloomberg TV.
The question here is: what would happen if Sergio Perez were to achieve, for the first time in his career, two consecutive victories by finishing first in the Formula 1 Azerbaijan Grand Prix? Would it be the beginning of the fracture with a Max Verstappen who seems unwilling to concede a single point in his bid to become a two-time World Champion? This remains to be seen on June 12 when the race takes place.
