Jos Verstappen has claimed Red Bull didn’t do enough to help his son Max win the Monaco Grand Prix, instead favouring his teammate Sergio Perez, in a move he described as “disappointing.”
Perez claimed his first victory of the season in Monaco, with Verstappen third. The pair was split by the Ferrari of Carlos Sainz.
Jos Verstappen, a former F1 driver himself, said the team “threw away” 10 championship points for Max – the difference between first and third.
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Writing on his son’s website, Jos said Max, who started fourth, deserved more help from the team.
“Red Bull achieved a good result, but at the same time exerted little influence to help Max to the front,” he wrote.
“That he finished third, he owes to Ferrari’s mistake at that second stop of Charles Leclerc.
“The championship leader, Max, was not helped in that sense by the chosen strategy. It turned completely to Checo’s favour. That was disappointing to me, and I would have liked it to be different for the championship leader.
“I would have liked them to go for Max, but of course I am not entirely objective. I think 10 points from Max have been thrown away here.”
What the Verstappen camp has overlooked is the fact Red Bull had no option when it came to the timing of the pit stops in Monaco.
Had Verstappen pitted earlier he would have emerged behind George Russell, further compromising his race, whereas Perez, a couple of seconds ahead of Verstappen at the time he pitted, was able to clear the Mercedes.
Verstappen has a nine-point championship lead over Leclerc, with Perez a further six points in arrears.
“Max’s third place was very disappointing,” he conceded. “We all saw that it was a difficult weekend for him.
“It starts with the car, which simply doesn’t have the characteristics for his driving style yet. Max has far too little grip at the front axle. And especially in Monaco, with all those short corners, you need a car that turns very quickly. That was just hard.”
Verstappen’s frustration comes at an interesting time for Red Bull, who have confirmed a new two-year deal for Perez.
“Time and again he has proved himself to not only be a magnificent team player, but as his level of comfort has grown he has become a real force to be reckoned with at the sharp end of the grid,” team boss Christian Horner said.
“For us, holding onto his pace, racecraft and experience was a no-brainer, and we are delighted that Checo will continue to race for the team until 2024.”
Just a week ago Perez was asked to move over during the Spanish Grand Prix to let Verstappen pass him, a move the Mexican said was “unfair.”
Now with a new, long-term contract in his back pocket, a resurgent Perez is the worst possible outcome for Verstappen, who has been unchallenged at Red Bull since Daniel Ricciardo’s departure at the end of 2018.
The world champion would be expected to have the speed to outperform Perez over the course of a season, but any friction between the pair could open the door for Ferrari to steal the title.
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