Sergio Perez Spat Robs Max Verstappen of a Seat Amongst F1 Greats Ft. Lewis Hamilton, Michael Schumacher

Sergio Perez has played nothing but the ultimate team game for Red Bull and Max Verstappen. Many of Max’s highest moments, including his maiden championship, have come courtesy of Checo. However, when it came to returning the favor after another championship win in Brazil, the Dutchman backed out. That has kept him from making the list of greats that have shown generosity toward their teammate.

Lewis Hamilton, Michael Schumacher, and Ayrton Senna are all legends of the sport, not only for their championship exploits but also for having big hearts. All three of them had some crucial help from their teammates who helped them win world championships. When it came to helping their counterparts out, they acted appropriately and respectfully.

Lewis Hamilton, Michael Schumacher, and Ayrton Senna’s wholesome gestures for their teammates

Ayrton Senna had one of the fiercest rivalries with teammate Alain Prost. However, when McLaren replaced Prost with Gerhard Berger, the duo shared a cordial relationship. Berger happily played second fiddle to help his teammate win titles in 1990 and 1991. After the ’91 title was decided, Senna let Berger pass in the Japanese GP to show his gratitude.

After sharing a soured relationship with Nico Rosberg for 4 years, Lewis Hamilton had the ultimate wingman in Valtteri Bottas. Throughout his stint with Mercedes, the Fin played the ultimate team game. During the 2017 Hungarian GP, Valtteri let Lewis pass to fight the Ferraris in 1-2. Lewis told the team he would give the place back to his teammate if he could not overtake the Ferraris. He kept his word and let Bottas pass in the final corner of the final lap.

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Michael Schumacher too arguably could not have been as successful as he was if it wasn’t for his partner, Rubens Barrichello. Barrichello famously let Schumacher pass in the final lap of the Austrian GP in 2002. After the title race was wrapped up, Schumacher returned the favor in the penultimate race in Indianapolis.

Jenson Button slammed Red Bull for Max Verstappen-Sergio Perez incident

As Max refused the team’s orders to let his teammate pass, they promptly asked him the reason. The Dutchman lashed out at his race engineer Gianpiero Lambiase for suggesting he gave up the place. Former F1 champion Jenson Button blamed Red Bull for the mess Verstappen and Perez found themselves in.

Button told Sky Sports, “Max could have come out of this so well–the world champion letting his teammate pass so he can fight for a second place in the championship. It’s amazing, isn’t it? But you’ve got to ask Red Bull. If they have discussed this beforehand, as Max said, why are they asking him to do it in the race?”

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The incident saw the relationship between the Red Bull duo turn sour. However, team principal Christian Horner assured that they held healthy discussions and made amends.