The sprint race at the Red Bull Ring witnessed a tense battle between Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez, as the two Red Bull drivers engaged in a fierce fight on the first lap.
Jolyon Palmer, in his analysis on Formula1.com, dissected the intense encounter between the teammates.
From the start, Perez gained an advantage and took the lead at turn one.
However, he ran wide, providing an opportunity for Verstappen to challenge him.
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The Mexican driver, unwilling to yield, squeezed Verstappen, forcing the Dutchman to veer onto the grass during the straight towards turns two and three.
Unwilling to back down, Verstappen retaliated by braking later into turn three, executing a daring move that saw him pass Perez, who was forced off track.
The battle continued into corner four, where Verstappen briefly found himself alongside his teammate.
This, however, resulted in Perez being pushed wide, allowing Nico Hulkenberg to seize an opportunity and overtake him.
Post-race, both drivers expressed their dissatisfaction with each other’s racing behaviour.
Damon Hill and others supported Verstappen’s perspective, and Palmer also pointed out that Perez could have been penalized for his actions.
Palmer commented, “I am still surprised that he technically didn’t see him.
“He keeps steering straight, not to the right, but his angle is still pointing to the grass.
“If you want to give someone space, you have to be steering to the left to open it up because the track is coming in.
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“It’s a little bit cheeky from Checo. I think if that had been an incident, he’d have been blamed for it.”
The clash between Verstappen and Perez highlighted the intense competition within the Red Bull team.
Both drivers exhibited their determination and fought hard for their positions on the track.