As the 2023 season unfolds, it’s now an undeniable truth that whoever teams up with Max Verstappen must confront evident favoritism, whether it’s Daniel Ricciardo or Sergio Perez. While Checo has gradually come to terms with this reality, he has recently taken center stage after a well-deserved podium slipped through his fingers at Circuit Zandvoort. In the wake of the apparent prioritization of Max Verstappen, the Mexican driver has candidly expressed his perspective on the unfolding drama. Interestingly, amidst this candidness, the 33-year-old has left a subtle hint for those paying attention.

As the race kicked off, setting the stage for a potentially historic achievement by Max Verstappen, Sergio Perez swiftly demonstrated his tactical acumen by switching to intermediate tires. The two-time champion pursued his prestigious aspiration with consistent performance, narrowing the gap with his teammate. However, as the rain eased, Verstappen was summoned for slick tires, revealing a noteworthy detail the team initially prioritized the Dutch driver over his Mexican teammate.

Sergio Perez describes the Dutch episode in detail:

This paved the way for the two-time champion to narrow the gap to Sergio Perez effortlessly, without needing to make any overtaking maneuvers on the challenging track under the demanding circumstances. However, the unpredictable rain conditions added another layer of complexity to the race. And while the rain resumed, Perez overshot turn 1, allowing Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso to seize second place. Interestingly, this incident occurred after Red Bull had opted to assist Verstappen first.

This particular turn of events marked the point where the 33-year-old driver lost his grip on a well-deserved podium position. Although Perez did manage to cross the checkered flag in the third position, a 5-second penalty for exceeding the speed limit in the pit lane, which led to damage to his front wing, caused him to slip down a spot. Consequently, Pierre Gasly benefitted from Perez’s misfortune and secured an unexpected podium finish.

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In a candid reflection on the entire episode, Sergio Perez shared his thoughts with skysportf1 and quoted by Formulapassion. He said, “It was a real shame what happened because of the penalty. While I was returning to the pits the pit-lane was full of water and after a lock I went against the wall. It was an unfortunate episode.”

Later, while opening up on the hint, Checo talked about the bigger picture. “The team has a bigger picture, and we’ll talk about it in the next few minutes to get the situation clearer. Some of the choices were great, but perhaps the second call was too optimistic when the rain came out. I was on the main straight so there would have been time to change the tyres, but it was also unfortunate. I have already said that we are a team and the goal for Red Bull is to have both cars at the top to win the constructors’ championship, like any other team.” [Translated via Google]

Despite Helmut Marko Exposing Sly Trait, Max Verstappen Refuses to Break Character after Sebastian Vettel’s Humble Text

Performance remains the yardstick for retaining a spot at Red Bull, yet somehow the team comes under scrutiny for its apparent bias. Though, like always, the Austrian outfit has conjured something to cover it up.

Christian Horner responds to bias around the Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez incident at Zandvoort

Red Bull strategically attracts high-performing talents, making it a requirement for favored treatment, fitting for Max Verstappen’s remarkable achievements with nine consecutive wins. However, this dynamic also highlights that despite the same machinery, Sergio Perez struggles to challenge Verstappen.

Even when the opportunity seemed ripe for Perez’s victory, Red Bull’s intervention shifted the win to Verstappen’s grasp. In response to this sequence of events, Christian Horner has provided insight in his post-race interview, clarifying the team’s decision to prioritize the Dutchman over the Mexican driver.

As per athletic, the Red Bull team boss said, “We’d have gone from a net 1-2 to a net 1-4. So we pitted Max first with the risk being that he undercut Checo, but we’d end up as a team first and second.”

WATCH THIS STORY | Sergio Perez Caught in the Crossfire as Sebastian Vettel Dismisses All Attempts to Downplay Verstappen’s Dominance

Max Verstappen’s bid to etch his name in history sees him hold a substantial 138-point lead over Perez. With a mere 9 races left on the calendar, it’s increasingly apparent that there’s little to impede Max Verstappen’s relentless march forward.