F1 News: Max Verstappen Makes Sly Jab At Sergio Perez Over Monaco Grand Prix Rumours
Two-time F1 champion Max Verstappen has discreetly alluded to the Monaco Grand Prix rumours from 2022 during the drivers' press conference today, in a sly joke potentially towards his teammate Sergio Perez.
The Monaco Grand Prix weekend will kick off tomorrow with the first two free practice sessions followed by the third practice session and qualifying on Saturday. The iconic grand prix will take place on Sunday afternoon.
The 2022 race in Monte Carlo raised a lot of eyebrows when Perez crashed during qualifying, bringing an abrupt end to the session and meaning that he was to start the race from fifth position ahead of his Red Bull teammate, Verstappen.
Although this has never been proven, there were many rumours that Perez did this on purpose to give himself a better chance of winning the race, which he did go on to do. A lot of reporters and fans thought that this was partly the reason for Verstappen refusing to follow teams orders during the Brazilian Grand Prix when he was asked to let the Mexican driver pass him.
Red Bull is adamant that there was no foul play and that there is no friction within the team. However, during the drivers' press conference today, Verstappen was asked about red flags during Q3, to which he responded:
"I just need to do a good lap in the first run, I guess [laughs]. It happens.
"Most of the time it's not on purpose."
The Austrian team has dominated the 2023 season so far and as a result Verstappen finds his main threat for his third championship win to be Perez, with just 14 points separating them at the moment.