Christian Horner says being honest is key to avoiding sour relations between Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez at Red Bull.
Verstappen leads Perez by 14 points and has won three races compared to the Mexican’s two, with Fernando Alonso the closest challenger in the opening five rounds.
“I think it’s about being transparent and talking things through, and going through what the expectations are,” Horner told the Financial Times.
“And reminding them that they drive for a team and they represent every team member when they are driving their cars, and they represent all of the partners that we represent as well.”
Tension between Verstappen and Perez
There was an element of tension that came to surface at the 2022 Brazilian Grand Prix as Verstappen refused to switch places to assist Perez cement second in the drivers’ championship and demanded that the team never make such a request again.
So far this season, the pair have not had any flash points and when they met on the track in Miami, the racing was both clean and fair, which Horner liked to see.
“The respect was there between the two [in Miami] in the way that they raced with each other,” Horner concluded.
“They were hard but fair and gave each other enough space, which is what we asked for.”
