7 minute read
Shifting Gears
By James Neilson
MAD MAX IS BACK
Despite having the Drivers and Constructors Championships all spoken for heading into the Brazilian Grand Prix, the penultimate round of the 2022 Formula 1 World Championship, there were fireworks on and off the track from the start of the race weekend to the end, and then spilled over into the post-race festivities.
First up, you had Haas F1’s Kevin Magnussen qualifying on pole after a wet start to qualifying, the first pole for both driver and team, then you had Mercedes’ George Russell winning both the Saturday Sprint Race and the Sunday Grand Prix, giving Mercedes its much needed first win of what has been a very disappointing season for the German marque.
But all that pales in comparison to the fiasco that is the fallout of Red Bull Racing’s Max Verstappen’s inexplicable decision to ignore team orders late in the race, where he was asked to move aside for teammate Sergio Perez to help the Spaniard pip Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc to second in the Drivers Championship.
“I told you already last time, guys. Don’t ask that again to me, okay? Are we clear about that? I gave my reasons, and I stand by it,” said Verstappen over the team radio.
What those reasons are is unclear, but the Formula 1 rumour mill has picked out Perez’s crash at the 2022 Monaco Grand Prix as a possible reason. At the time, it was assumed it was an accident, which brought out the red flag and ended Verstappen’s chance at pole, but apparently some people within the paddock suspect Verstappen thinks it was intentional, and the Dutchman did nothing to quell those suspensions when asked after the race.
“You can decide that. I’m not going to say,” was his answer.
Perez, understandably, was furious, saying “it shows who he (Verstappen) really is. After all I’ve done for him, it’s disappointing. I have no idea. I’m really surprised”
Teammates not getting along is a tale as old as time in Formula 1, most famously when Alain Prost and Ayrton Senna had their battle in the late 1980s, but those two drivers were locked in a heated battle for the title, Verstappen has already clinched his. This whole thing makes no sense to me.
I’m not normally one to believe gossip, but Verstappen’s actions were so pointless, so petty, that where there is smoke there must be some fire. Was it Monaco? Was it something else? We’ll probably never know.
And to add to the ridiculousness of the whole affair, Verstappen’s mother, Sophie Kumpen, accused Perez of cheating on his wife on social media before quickly deleting it.
Thankfully, since then things have settled down, apparently the two drivers have ironed things out and Verstappen will support Perez’s bid for second place in the championship at the Abu Dhabi finale.
Between feuding with Sky Sports over one of their on-air personalities stating Lewis Hamilton was robbed of the 2021 title (which is correct, by the way), the penalties handed down after the team exceeded the spending cap, and now a completely avoidable driver row, it’s been an embarrassing month for Red Bull, the reigning Formula 1 Drivers and Constructors champions. IT
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