Lewis Hamilton has subtly suggested that Red Bull might be favoring Max Verstappen over Sergio Perez, highlighting a significant discrepancy between the two RB20 cars. This comes in the wake of Juan Pablo Montoya’s comments on the apparent performance gap between Verstappen and Perez.
During the British Grand Prix, Perez struggled significantly, finishing 17th after a disastrous qualifying session where he placed 19th. Montoya, a former Formula 1 driver, remarked on the stark contrast between Perez’s and Verstappen’s cars. “The difference in balance between Checo’s car and Max’s surprised me,” Montoya said. “When you see Checo’s car and Max’s car on the onboard cameras, how Max’s car gets through the corners and Checo’s car doesn’t [at all]…. It’s impossible to go faster [for Perez].”
Hamilton, who has been vocal about equality and fairness in the sport, echoed Montoya’s sentiments, indicating that there might be more to the situation than meets the eye. “Internally, people are shouting that the car is the same. There is a need to understand what is going on because suddenly he [Perez] is on the other side of the line,” Montoya added. “He may shout ‘No, no, no, everything is fine’. But, ‘Everything is fine’ actually means that something is lacking with the car.”
Hamilton’s comments add weight to the ongoing discussion about team dynamics within Red Bull. As Verstappen continues to dominate, securing podium finishes and accumulating points, Perez’s performance has notably declined since the Grand Prix at Imola in May.
The debate over whether Red Bull is providing equal support to both drivers is likely to continue, especially with high-profile figures like Hamilton and Montoya drawing attention to the issue. As the season progresses, all eyes will be on Red Bull to see if they address these concerns and ensure a level playing field for both their drivers.