Ever since Max Verstappen refused to follow team orders to let Sergio Perez pass in Brazil last year, rumors of a rift between the two have been floating around. The rumors picked further traction as Max defied team orders at Jeddah to take the fastest lap for an extra point in the race’s final stages. That was when Perez, too, was told not to go for it. Speculations are now running around over who could replace the Mexican driver in the event that he leaves the team. A star veteran from the midfield has emerged as a clear favorite.

Despite Max taking the fastest lap in Saudi Arabia, Checo finished as the winner. As is the tradition, he celebrated with the team right before the post-race interview. Also present among the crew was the defending champion’s father, Jos, who did not look too amused. That was despite the fact that the Dutchman started the race from P15 and finished runner-up. But Jos’ reaction had many thinking that he was just sulking after Perez’s success.

This could make one think about how far Sergio is willing to take it. Talking about the ongoing tussle between the two camps, the co-hosts at The Red Flags Podcast discussed, “Let’s say Sergio Perez retires or punches Max in the face. Something happens with Max. Who do you want in that second seat? At this point, I’m like, ‘maybe Hulkenberg,’ right?”

When asked which driver’s seat they were talking about (Max or Checo), the replied, “Perez. If Perez f*cks off. If Perez goes like, ‘I can’t take this sh*t,‘ punches Christian Horner in the face. Right now I’m like, ‘I think I want a Hulkenberg’.”

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Ever since his comeback, Nico Hulkenberg has really held his ground for Haas. Even at the Australian GP, the German scored crucial 6 points for the team while his teammate Kevin Magnussen retired prematurely.

Nico Hulkenberg looking to carry the momentum in coming races

Magnussen’s crash into the wall saw red flags come out once again. The race restart played perfectly in Nico’s hands. Carlos Sainz ran into Fernando Alonso from back and spun him around. Meanwhile, Hulkenberg took P4 behind Sainz as Pierre Gasly and Esteban Ocon crashed into each other as well. The incident caused the red flags to reappear and Nico’s joy was short-lived. The FIA soon decided to reinstate the pre-restart positions. However, the German veteran was happy with the team’s performance.

Speaking post-race with F1 TV, he said, “There are a lot of positive learnings again and I feel there are a lot of good things happening. I’m refreshed, in a very positive mindset and really enjoy working with the team and experimenting with the car. We have very good momentum and that’s what we want to take into the next races.”

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Teams will introduce the first installment of changes to their cars in Azerbaijan. This could make things tougher for Red Bull because who knows how much progress their rivals will make. Now is the time for their drivers to put their differences aside and work as a unit.