During the São Paulo race, Red Bull Racing asked Sergio Perez to let Max Verstappen go so that he could try to impose a fight on Fernando Alonso, promising to give back the position in case of a failed overtaking. Max was unable to pass Fernando but refused to give the position back, asking the team “not to bother him again with requests like that”.
The incident did not go unnoticed, fans commented on the situation on social networks with emotion, so the team had to make an official statement.
“Our team in Brazil made some mistakes. We didn’t anticipate the situation that developed on the last lap, we didn’t agree on a strategy for such a scenario before the race. Unfortunately Max was asked to give up position already in the last corner, without passing all the necessary information.
As a result, Max, who has always been an open and honest team player, found himself in a difficult situation, with little time to react, which was not our intention. After the race, Max spoke openly and honestly about what happened, which allowed both drivers to resolve all issues and problems. The team accepts Max’s arguments, they will remain confidential, no further comments will follow.
Social media posts that are followed are unacceptable. The online abusive behavior towards Max, Sergio, their families and the team is shocking and sad and sadly something our sport has to deal with on a regular basis. It has no place in racing or society.
After all, this is a sport, we’re here to compete. Death threats, hate mail, anger against family members are unacceptable. We value inclusiveness and want to create a safe space for everyone to work and enjoy our sport. The insults must stop,” the team said in a statement.
