20 March 2023 , 11:44
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Stellar driving skill isn't the only thing that appears to run in the Verstappen family after ex-Formula 1 star Jos displayed a lack of team ethics following son Max's second-place finish on Sunday.
Defending world champion Verstappen Jr. rallied from 15th place to seal another Red Bull one-two at the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, where Sergio Perez clinched his first win of the season from pole. But that didn't appear to please either Verstappen, with the younger of the father-son duo commenting afterwards that he's "not here to be second."
While it's true only one driver can be crowned champion in any given F1 campaign, teamwork is a key element in the sport. But prolific talent Verstappen, 25, has illustrated on numerous occasions that such values don't rank highly on his list of priorities.
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And the same can be said for father Jos after cameras caught the 51-year-old's reaction to Perez's first win of the year (and his fifth in F1 overall). Red Bull's team of engineers and fans could be seen frolicking with the Mexican in the paddock after securing his earliest victory in any F1 season to date.
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But despite being part of that crowd, Jos failed to so much as crack a smile for his son's colleague, who crossed the line in Jeddah five seconds or so before Max. Many fans were in disbelief at the footage as one Twitter user dubbed his a "despicable attitude."
Jos Verstappen showed no emotion for Sergio Perez's victory in Saudi Arabia after he edged out son Max (https://twitter.com/FOXSportsMX/status/1637536768869187584)Others were less surprised, however, as another remarked: "Like father, like son." It was also pointed out by some that Perez's father, Antonio, has been seen celebrating Verstappen's successes in the past, but the favour didn't appear to be returned in Jeddah.
Some suggested Jos was later seen shaking Checo's hand in congratulations, but cameras failed to pick up the act. Regardless, the veteran's reaction in the immediate aftermath of Perez's proud moment speak volumes, with his son's comeback from near the bottom of the grid seemingly not enough to celebrate.
Reigning champion Verstappen has also been scrutinised for his immediately after Sunday's result, once again highlighting the Dutchman's distaste for playing nice, even with his comrades. The Red Bull superstar was panned for refusing to let Perez pass at last year's Sao Paulo Grand Prix despite having already secured his second straight title, but his latest comments suggest little has changed in regards to his priorities.
“It’s not only about the pace of the car, we need to make sure we are reliable without any issues," Verstappen told reporters after his runner-up finish. “My first weekend was not very clean because of just the big balance shift from testing to the race weekend, some other things which were going on in the background.
“Now again, after three positive practice sessions, I have an issue in qualifying. Of course, I recovered the second, which is good. In general the whole feeling in the team, everyone is happy. But personally, I’m not happy because I’m not here to be second.”