Awkward moment Jos Verstappen blanked Sergio Perez hints at underlying tension
Jos Verstappen, the father of Max Verstappen, was caught on camera awkwardly refusing to join in Sergio Perez’s victory celebrations in Jeddah.
Perez, fresh off winning the second race of 2023 from pole position in front of Max, leapt into the arms of several jubilant Red Bull team members.
But among the celebrations stood Verstappen’s father, Jos, who did not smile or reach out to greet Perez.
It was a reminder of the underlying tension between Red Bull’s two drivers which boiled over at the end of last season.
Max refused team orders to let Perez through, insisting it was retribution for Perez’s crash in Monaco qualifying earlier in the year. The shock bust-up, with Red Bull cruising to the drivers’ and constructors’ championship, was solved by a chat and a handshake but might not be forgotten yet.
In Saudi Arabia, race-winner Perez later revealed unhappiness at how Red Bull dealt with the fastest lap, and the extra point that comes with it.
Verstappen eventually took the fastest lap and the bonus point, despite Perez thinking he already had it in the bag.
Verstappen and Perez have each won a race in the opening two grands prix of 2023 - Red Bull are dominating, but are doing so with bubbling tension between their two drivers.
James was a sports journalist at Sky Sports for a decade covering everything from American sports, to football, to F1.
