Max Verstappen Extends Questionable Olive Branch to Sergio Perez After Brazilian GP Train-Wreck

Formula 1 is in Abu Dhabi for the ultimate race of 2022. In the final qualification of the season, Red Bull Racing came on top, yet again. As Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez locked the front row for tomorrow, the teamwork at Red Bull seems to have worked out perfectly as Verstappen helped his teammate at the Yas Marina Circuit.

Verstappen and Perez pulled off two brilliant flying laps that will see the duo start from P1 and P2 on Sunday, respectively. As the Mexican barely pulled ahead of Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc in the qualifying, he received some help from the Dutchman in the form of a tow in the final flying lap.

Moreover, teamwork is what Marko pointed out in an interview with Servus TV earlier. He stated, “We said that its about getting the best for the team, and what has to be done will be done. I think the first step in quali will be to give Checo a tow. We need everything to work, the will is there.”

Does this mean things are back to normal at the Red Bull camp and Verstappen will prioritize helping Checo get P2 in the WDC?

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All of this comes right after last week’s team order dismantle at the Brazilian Grand Prix. The Dutchman came under heavy fire as he didn’t pay heed to the team’s order to let Checo through before crossing the finish line. Perez, in return, hit back at Verstappen on his team radio, saying, “shows who he really is.”

How did the qualifying turn out for Red Bull at Abu Dhabi?

Max Verstappen took the pole with a brilliant 1:23:824 lap and was head of Checo by 0.228 seconds. Perez clocked an impressive 1:24.052 lap time on the timesheet. As the former Racing Point driver took P2, he was faster by 0.040s than Charles Leclerc.

Leclerc, who clocked 1:24.092, needed to be in front in order to have the advantage on Sunday over Perez. Sainz finished with 1:24.242 to complete the second-row start for Ferrari. Interestingly, Mercedes, who showed a brilliant pace in Brazil, were the third-best team in Abu Dhabi qualifying.

The Mercedes duo of Lewis Hamilton and George Russell qualified in P5 and P6, respectively. The other four drivers who were in the qualifying were Lando Norris, Esteban Ocon, Sebastian Vettel, and Fernando Alonso. They finished in P7, P8, P9, and P10, respectively.

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As things stand, Red Bull needs Sergio Perez to pull ahead of Leclerc to finish in P2 in the driver’s standings. Perez finishing ahead of Leclerc and getting a 1-2 finish for Red Bull in the driver’s championship will perfectly wrap up their season as a whole.