Verstappen could have repaid Perez: 'It would have cost him nothing'

The incident between Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez is a hotly debated topic after the Brazilian Grand Prix. Everyone has an opinion on the bizarre action of the two-time world champion, who did not want to give up his sixth position for his teammate. Martin Brundle also joins the discussion. According to the Sky Sports analyst, it would have cost Verstappen nothing to give his position to Perez.

Perez desperately needed the help of his teammate at Interlagos. The Mexican driver is still fighting for second place in the drivers' championship with Charles Leclerc. Now that Verstappen has his second title in his pocket and Red Bull holds the constructors' championship, there can be full focus on Perez. Verstappen was unfortunately unwilling to help his teammate in Brazil.

Verstappen, however, has a lot to thank Perez for. For instance, his teammate was named the Mexican 'minister of defence' after Abu Dhabi 2021 because he managed to hold up Lewis Hamilton for several laps. This ultimately played a key role in preventing the Briton from stopping for fresh tyres under the safety car. "Max will no doubt remember that. I believe he called him a "legend" back then," Brundle writes in his column for Sky Sports.

Perez was unapologetic about Verstappen's action after the race. The Mexican reminded Verstappen that he 'owes' his two world titles to him. Perez has since revealed on Twitter that the situation has been discussed internally and that he wants to look ahead as a team. Still, several people in the paddock are questioning the Red Bull teammates' future relationship.

"This is not a popularity contest, it's the brutal world of F1, but you still need friends and respect, and giving Sergio a meagre sixth place when the championship is already in his pocket would have cost Max nothing. It's the second boomerang in two races which has come back to hit Max pretty hard," says the British analyst.