Did Verstappen go wrong? 'I think it was short-sighted of Max'
F1 News
- GPblog.com
Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez got into a fight in Brazil this calendar year when the Dutchman refused to let his teammate pass him. Karun Chandhok would not be surprised if the moment will have a sequel next season.
"I think it was short-sighted of Max, to be honest," he told Betway about the situation. "On one hand, he's a racing driver, and inherently racing drivers are all selfish. The great ones are even more selfish, the Sennas, the Schumachers. But there come certain moments where you have to think of the long term and the big picture."
Chandhok points to next year, when Verstappen will again need help from his teammate to secure his third world title. The former Formula One driver can well imagine if Perez refuses to do so then. "It's meaningless," is how he summed up Verstappen's action.
Memories of Senna and Mansell
The moment reminds Chandhok of the early 1990s. With Nigel Mansell and Ayrton Senna, Formula 1 experienced two similar kinds of situations at the time, but they both chose to get behind the other driver within the team at the time.
"In ‘91 with Senna and in ‘92 with Mansell, it was a similar situation. They had both become world champions that year, they both had a bit of help from their teammates at certain key moments, and they both gave up the race lead and the victory for their teammates to say thank you, and also ensure a bit of loyalty for the future."