Red Bull's Sergio Perez has spoken out about how his conversations with the team progressed after calling for "internal talks" due to the way in which team orders were utilised at the Spanish Grand Prix. Perez had willingly ceded position to teammate Max Verstappen early in the race, after the Dutch driver made a mistake and slid off the track. However, with Verstappen unable to overtake Mercedes' George Russell, Perez came back into play later on as his two-stop strategy progressed. With the Mexican on fresh rubber, he caught the squabbling Russell and Verstappen and requested to be allowed past his teammate, but was told to hold position. Perez branded this "unfair" over team radio and, finishing the race in second place, said he'd want to sit down with Red Bull for private discussions.
How did Red Bull discussions progress?
Asked how these chats had gone, Perez said the issue has been dealt with and is now firmly in the past. "We spoke after the race," he told media, including RacingNews365.com , ahead of the Monaco weekend. "I felt that, during the race, we could have tried a very short two-stop strategy to see if it could work or not, which the team took on board. "At the end of the day, it was clear that the three-stop was the way to go. We both agree on the same page, and we move on. "It's a great atmosphere at Red Bull, we have a great momentum. So, at the end of the day, it was a great team result." As for whether he will be permitted to win against Verstappen, he said: "They made it clear that I have the full support of the team to see me winning."
Perez: We all could have done a better job
Perez was asked about whether his position within the team was that of playing wingman for Verstappen, and whether there had been indications from Red Bull that strategy decisions such as those seen in Spain had been expected on his side coming into the season. "Not really coming into the season, [it was] more about the race," he explained. "Obviously, when you're in the car, you have certain information and you know that the team has a wider picture. "In the car, at the time, it felt like we could have done a better job, especially in the second stint – giving a better shot, a better opportunity to the two-stop strategy to see if it could work or not. "But it was clear that the three-stop was the way forward. It was better to go that way. We spoke after the race and it's all clear and we all agree that we could have done a better job in that stint to give a better shot to both strategies to see which one worked." As for whether contract negotiations with Red Bull have begun, given that his current deal with the team comes to an end at the conclusion of the season, Perez said it's looking good for a continuation. "At the moment, it's not the highest priority," he said. "We are in the middle of the season and, as you know, it's never easy to get a contract out of Helmut [Marko] and Christian [Horner] but I think we're both very happy and we should see that coming soon."
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