Sergio Perez’s explanation for the incident with Max Verstappen during the Austria sprint race did not convince F1 pundit Naomi Schiff, who labeled the move as “very unnecessary.” While Perez claimed he did not see Verstappen attempting to pass him, Schiff questioned the validity of his excuse.
Verstappen started the sprint race from pole position alongside Perez on the front row, but it was Perez who made the better start and took the lead from his teammate at Turn 1. However, it was the straight following the first corner that caused controversy, as Verstappen was forced onto the grass when Perez moved across.
Perez later explained that he had not seen Verstappen alongside him initially and only opened the door for him once he realized his teammate was trying to squeeze through. Verstappen reclaimed the lead at Turn 4 and went on to win the race with a comfortable 21-second margin.
Schiff, a former W Series racer and now a Sky F1 pundit, expressed doubts about Perez’s version of events. She questioned why Perez would have taken that line down the straight if he had not been aware of Verstappen’s presence. Schiff also highlighted the potential risk for Red Bull, the dominant force in Formula 1, in a teammate-to-teammate collision.
“To be honest, I understand blocking, I understand trying to protect your position, but team-mate against team-mate, when there’s all to lose for those two, I think it was very unnecessary,” Schiff commented.
She further added, “And I think he was saying that he didn’t see him? I don’t really buy that. Because you can see he moves over, and then as Max is there, he seems to move over a little bit more. He wouldn’t be on that part of the track to begin with if he didn’t know Max was there, so I don’t buy the fact that he didn’t see him.”
Perez eventually regained second place after losing it to Haas driver Nico Hulkenberg during the incident. However, Verstappen’s victory extended his lead over Perez in the Drivers’ Championship to 70 points. The incident between the Red Bull teammates has sparked discussions about team dynamics and the need for better communication and awareness on the track.
