Christian Horner has moved to diffuse the simmering tension at Red Bull after Sergio Perez and Max Verstappen again clashed in Saudi Arabia.
The Mexican held off his teammate, who stormed from 15th on the grid after enduring engine problems in qualifying, to take his fifth Grand Prix win. But it was the Dutchman who took the fastest lap award, prompting an awkward post-race exchange - with Perez under the impression he had earned the extra bonus point.
And amid the post-match celebrations, Verstappen's dad Jos was caught looking disconsolate, refusing to even acknowledge Perez as he was mobbed by nearby team members. It prompted Sky Sports presenter and pundit Natalie Pinkham to warn Horner that as Team Principle, he had his "work cut out" to manage the pair harmoniously.
But Horner himself has played down any talk of tension: "There is always a conflict between the two championships - the big one for the team is the constructor's, that is where the money is in the sport," he told Sky News. "The drivers' championship is for the individual and carries prestige for the guys in the cars.
"For us as a team, the responsibility is to give both drivers the same opportunity and same car to win the championship. It is then down to what they do on the circuit. We have two great drivers in Max and Sergio, there is a healthy respect and I expect that to continue."
However, the English boss is likely to be on guard after the flare-up between his two drivers at the penultimate race in Brazil last year. With Verstappen already crowned world champion, he refused to adhere to team orders and give up a place to Perez, who was bidding for a second place finish in the title race.
And intriguingly, in the aftermath of his Saudi victory, the Mexican tweeted: "It was tougher than I thought, but in the end I'm happy to get my fifth victory in F1. Very happy with the result of the team. We are going to keep pushing very hard. I want to be champion."
However, the post was swiftly deleted, and replaced with a new tweet that was void of the words: "I want to be champion." Indeed, he appears the only realistic challenger to the Dutchman, given the current superior pace of Red Bull in comparison to the rest.
The next F1 race weekend is in Australia from March 31- April 2. Verstappen heads Down Under just a solitary point ahead of his partner in the standings, with Red Bull already 49 points clear in the Constructors' race.
