'Don't see how trust can be repaired between Verstappen and Perez'

At Sky Sports, they think that in 2023 we may yet see the consequences of what happened during last November's Brazilian Grand Prix between Max Verstapepn and Sergio Perez. Indeed, the incident at the Interlagos circuit may have caused a breach of trust.

The Red Bull Racing team asked Verstappen to let Perez pass. This was because the Mexican was still engaged in a fierce battle for second place in the world championship, while Verstappen was already sure of his second world title. However, the 25-year-old Dutchman refused, presumably because Perez allegedly crashed on purpose during qualifying in Monaco to ensure himself pole position that way.

Confidence breakdown Max and Checo?

"There has to be trust issues there," David Croft analysed to the British television channel. "You need to be able to trust your team and as a driver, trust your team-mate. Whatever went on in Monaco, and the assumption is that there was something about Checo’s crash that wasn’t misfortune, shall we say? If it wasn’t an act of misfortune, there is a trust issue there. And in the back of your mind, I don’t care who you are, you’re thinking ‘will they do that again? I don’t see how it gets repaired.”

Karun Chandhok concurred with his colleague's words. “I think we’ll only find out the true damage done by Brazil next year at a moment where Checo is asked to help Max and I think that is going to be interesting. But ultimately though, Checo has got to lift his game, because he only out-qualified Max three times this year, all three on street circuits, one of them Monaco, perhaps a bit of an asterix as well," the former Formula 1 driver alluded to Perez's crash there.

Red Bull: relationship is fine

At Red Bull, it is claimed that the Brazil incident was discussed at length and that Verstappen and Perez are back on good terms. Whether that is actually the case will become clear next season.