Max Verstappen cranked up the pressure on under-fire team-mate Sergio Perez by claiming that the Canadian Grand Prix would have been “very different” for Red Bull without him.
The two have enjoyed very promising starts to the new season. Dutchman Verstappen sits top of the driver’s championship with a 69-point lead over his teammate.
Meanwhile, Perez looked to be putting together somewhat of a title challenge after winning two of the opening four races of the 2023 season. However, his performances have declined recently.
He could only finish sixth in the Canadian Grand Prix, whilst he has also failed to get into Q3 for three consecutive race weekends. Verstappen has fired a dig towards his underperforming teammate by hinting that the results could have looked very different without him.
"Well, if I wasn't here today, obviously it would have been very different for the team," he said. "That's one way of looking at it."
Asked if he has a solution to fixing the difference between the two drivers, Verstappen replied: "It's not my problem. It's something they (the team) maybe have to work on.
"But you have to ask them. I was busy trying to get the car in better shape and at a time like this it's definitely not something you think about. And even now it's not. I'll be back in a little while, have a Red Bull and have a meeting.
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"Then I'll go straight to the hotel and have a nice shower. And as far as I'm concerned, everything's fine."
Perez’s indifferent recent form has seen his place at Red Bull called into question. There have been suggestions that he could potentially be replaced by Daniel Ricciardo - the Australian joining the team as a reserve driver.
Red Bull chief Helmut Marko did nothing to dampen those rumours and confirmed that Ricciardo would get the chance to impress.
He said: “We will have Ricciardo in the car for three days after Silverstone at the tyre test and then you can evaluate where Ricciardo really stands.”
“His initial target was two, three years, which would be more than he planned anyway, and you just have to keep options open for the succession,” Marko added.
Despite that, Christian Horner has expressed his confidence that Perez will rediscover his best displays over the coming weeks. He said: “I think he just needs a good weekend to just lift his confidence.
“I think he's had three difficult weekends, three difficult Saturdays, that then puts you on the backfoot on a Sunday. And we've seen what Checo is capable of, only a month or two ago. And I think he just needs to have a strong weekend to find that confidence. And then I've got no doubt he'll be back.”
