Red Bull team principal Christian Horner has stressed that the reigning Formula 1 constructors’ champion give their drivers equal treatment following comments made by Sergio Perez.
The Mexican, ahead of the Australian Grand Prix stated, he now feels the full support of the team in his ambition to fight teammate Max Verstappen to the world championship crown. This was in comparison to when he joined the team last year, claiming it was more or less a one-car operation.
“Certainly when I came to the team, things were very different. Basically, they were just going racing with two cars because they had to,” the ex- Racing Point (now Aston Martin) driver said.
Horner has however hit back at those claims, asserting the Milton Keynes-based team have always been about two cars and two drivers.
“That’s the first I’ve heard him [Perez] saying that,” Horner said in Melbourne.
“We always have run two cars since we entered the sport in 2005. We always want to have the best two drivers we can in the car.
“As a team we’ve always strived to give both drivers the best opportunity and the best equipment we can. Then it’s down to what they do on-track.
“That’s whether it’s Max and Checo or Daniel [Ricciardo] nd Max or Daniel and Seb [Vettel] or Mark [Webber] and Seb or you can go back to David Coulthard and Mark.
“That’s the way we’ve always rolled and it’s down to what they do on the circuit at the end of the day that counts.”
Melbourne, we are back!! ????????#AusGP #F1 pic.twitter.com/PiXxhObzhd
— Oracle Red Bull Racing (@redbullracing) March 30, 2023
Perez’s comments come after sealing victory at the previous race in Saudi Arabia, with Verstappen finishing behind him having started the race in 15th due to a drive shaft problem.
The current world champion however took the bonus point for the fastest lap of the race which handed him the lead of the championship over Perez by one point.
