Red Bull blew their chance to secure their first ever one-two in the drivers’ championship, after Sergio Perez was narrowly beaten by Charles Leclerc in Abu Dhabi.
Max Verstappen had the chance to help out his teammate in Brazil and follow the team orders that requested that he let the Mexican pass him on the final lap, but refused in explosive fashion.
Had the Dutchman followed orders, Perez would have gone to Abu Dhabi ahead of Leclerc, potentially leading to a different outcome, however this was not the case.
Since then, rumours have run rife about the future of Red Bull, with some believing that the damage done to the relationship between Verstappen and Perez is irreversible, especially after the Dutchman’s mother accused Perez of cheating on his wife via Instagram.
READ: Sergio Perez branded ‘a little crazy’ after Max Verstappen claim
Mercedes is a much more harmonious team at the moment despite their shortcomings this season, and Lewis Hamilton has admitted that he is enjoying watching the drama at Mercedes rivals unfold.
“I mean, it feels like a bit of a Kardashian show happening here,” joked the 37-year-old.
“It’s pretty hilarious, some of the stuff that I’ve heard over the past few days has been so entertaining. I’m sure it’ll all be on Netflix, it’s going to be great.”
In a season where the team from Milton Keynes have dominated, not everything has been plain sailing for Red Bull.
Prior to the Brazilian Grand Prix the team had been in the spotlight for a different drama, with Red Bull having been found guilty of a minor breach of the 2021 cost cap and being punished after a period of negotiation with the FIA.
READ: Charles Leclerc makes ‘very bad interpretation’ claim, opens up on Ferrari anger
Red Bull have been fined $7m for their wrongdoing as well as having their aerodynamic testing time for 2023 cut by ten per cent, which Christian Horner has claimed will hurt the team significantly.
Hamilton and Mercedes will have a significant testing time advantage over the current constructors’ champions, as their finishing position of third in the championship will grant them more testing hours that Ferrari and Red Bull even before the penalty.
After a turbulent year for the team, Mercedes will be hoping that they can get their car design right next year, with George Russell joking in a recent interview that he has forgotten what it feels like to drive a car that doesn’t bounce, such were the teams issues with porpoising.