Perez even gets permission from Marko: 'He's fully participating in that'

The friendship between Sergio Perez and Max Verstappen is still there, but how long will that remain the case if the Mexican is allowed to compete for the world title? Is there a storm brewing at Red Bull Racing?

With his victory in Monaco, Perez has left a clear mark on the first seven races of this season. He also wants to fight for his chance at the title and not just be the helper of Verstappen. In 2021 he was mainly the latter, also because he still too did not come close to the pace of the Dutchman.

Luxury position for Red Bull

In 2022 it is different. Perez qualified twice ahead of the reigning world champion, lost an average of 0.071s over the first seven qualifications compared to Verstappen and is fifteen points behind in the championship. So everything is still possible.

On top of that, Perez now has a long-term contract in his pocket. After the Monaco Grand Prix Perez spoke out and on Tuesday the news of his contract extension was officially announced. The 32-year-old driver is now tied to the Austrian formation until 2024.

Perez may fight

Horner already let it be known that Perez is just as much a part of this championship as Verstappen, and Marko also believes that no driver needs to be favoured. ''He (Perez) is only fifteen points behind and therefore fully participating in the battle for the world championship,'' said Red Bull's special advisor at Sport1.de.

For Red Bull, this will also mean that for the first time since 2018 they will have to manage two drivers fighting for the same spot on the track. Since the departure of Daniel Ricciardo, Verstappen had to do everything on his own at Red Bull, but now he has someone who can compete at the same level again. The question is what kind of tensions this will create over a full season.