Red Bull have been told to allow Sergio Perez the chance to challenge Max Verstappen to give the team the best chance of winning both Formula 1 titles this season.
Despite a strong start from rivals Ferrari, Red Bull are in pole position in both championships after seven races. Verstappen leads the drivers' table ahead of Charles Leclerc, with Perez not far behind, while the team has a 36-point lead in the constructors' standings.
As defending champion and the man who started fastest of the two, there had been suggestions that Verstappen would be prioritised – even if the team insists there is no number one. But consistent form and recent improvements from Perez have thrown him into the mix for glory.
Competition between team-mates can turn ugly, as it did between Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg in 2016. The pair had been good friends since childhood, but the pressure of competing while rivals at Mercedes saw things turn sour at times.
According to Jenson Button, Verstappen and Perez are capable of competing without threatening the friendship which has blossomed between them. "I think Max is very sure of himself and he knows how talented he is. It was a great weekend for Checo but it needs to be continually happening," he told Sky Sports.
"This is the second race win with Red Bull – you just look at how many Max has had. He's still very confident that he can do the job at every single race weekend but with the added confidence of Checo, hopefully, it will bring him a lot closer to Max and we will see them going wheel-to-wheel a bit more."
Christian Horner has said that both drivers are free to race and challenge for the title, but already this season Perez has been given orders to allow Verstappen to pass. The Mexican obliged at the Spanish Grand Prix but was audibly irritated about it, and responded with a statement win next time out in Monaco.
On that subject, Button added: "The team can't choose a favourite driver at this point, they're too close in points, so anything can happen this season. It's exciting to see them going wheel-to-wheel and I love that we have that in this Formula 1 season, that it's not just teams getting behind one driver."
