Although the second half of the 2022 season has been a triumph for Red Bull in terms of results, they have caused plenty of controversy off the track. Despite winning the Drivers’ and Constructors’ Championships with four and three races remaining respectively, Red Bull found themselves embroiled in a trio of misadventures. The first was over the 2021 budget cap, which they violated and were duly punished. The second was a Sky TV speech boycott in Mexico over remarks made about Verstappen’s first title win and the third a dispute over team orders during the Sao Paulo Grand Prix. The latest incident centered on the Dutchman’s refusal to hand sixth place back to teammate Sergio Perez, who had earlier allowed him to attack Fernando Alonso and Charles Leclerc. Verstappen’s insubordination cost Perez two points in his battle with Leclerc for second place in the drivers’ standings and means he must overcome the Ferrari man in the Abu Dhabi finale to end the campaign ahead of him. With Verstappen saying he had his “reasons” for not agreeing to the order, Brundle believes it is something that has come back to haunt the World Champion – just as the circumstances of his title success did last year. Discussing the issue of team orders in his post-race column for Sky Sports, Brundle wrote: “He (Verstappen) refused for some historical reason which was obviously already discussed. I think this is overkill during qualifying in Monaco. “Max will also no doubt remember how Sergio put up with Lewis [Hamilton] in Abu Dhabi last year, which was instrumental in Lewis not being able to find fresh tires under the Safety Car, and how he fought Lewis so hard in Baku along with other examples that helped Max seal the 2021 title. I believe she called him a “legend” back then. “This isn’t a popularity contest, it’s the brutal world of F1, but you still need friends and respect, and giving Sergio a measly sixth place when the championship is already in his pocket wouldn’t cost Max anything. “It’s the second boomerang in two games that came back to hit Max pretty hard.” Read more: Max Verstappen let Red Bull know who’s boss, but was he bossy?
