It certainly appears that Max Verstappen’s defiance of team orders at the Brazilian Grand Prix is going to go down as one of the most talked about moments of 2022, let alone one of the most controversial.
Following a very messy race by the Dutchman’s standards, Verstappen found himself seventh in the closing stages of the race, behind team-mate Sergio Pérez who was sixth.
With the field having been bunched up as a result of a Safety Car to recover a stricken Lando Norris, Verstappen was given permission to overtake Pérez at the restart due to the Mexican being on slower tyres.
However, Verstappen was told that unless he overtook either Fernando Alonso or Charles Leclerc, then he’d need to return P6 to Pérez.
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Given that Checo is battling Leclerc for second in the Drivers’ Championship, every single point that the Mexican can gain is vital in his fight against the Monegasque driver.
With Verstappen having already sealed the Drivers’ Championship and Red Bull having claimed the Constructors’, the Austrians focus is on getting Checo P2, considering that the team have never claimed a one-two in the Drivers’ standings before.
It became apparent on the final lap that Verstappen wasn’t going to overtake Pérez, resulting in the Dutchman being told to give the place back; however, he didn’t.
After crossing the line ahead of Pérez, Verstappen told his team that he has his “reasons” for defying them, with that ‘reason’ believed to be the Monaco Grand Prix.
According to reports, Verstappen is certain that Pérez crashed on purpose in Q3 at Monaco to deny the Dutchman pole position, something the telemetry does suggest might have happened.
Regardless of this, it was a clear defiance of team orders by the 25-year-old, who could cost his team-mate second in the standings.
Interestingly, Pérez’s father has given his opinion on the entire situation, with him believing that Verstappen is feeling the pressure of having Checo alongside him.
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According to Pérez’s father, who is at the season finale this weekend, his son is the best team-mate Verstappen has ever had alongside him, with the likes of Daniel Ricciardo and Carlos Sainz having been “inferior”.
“Today, Max already feels Checo’s breath in his helmet because of what he is demonstrating,” Pérez’s father said.
“He has never [Verstappen] had a similar teammate, the others were much inferior. Checo wins races that Max cannot, the truly difficult ones.”