Horner: Verstappen will 'fully support' team orders next week
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Formula One champion Max Verstappen declined to follow team orders Sunday, keeping sixth place in the Brazilian Grand Prix after being asked to give it to Red Bull teammate Sergio Perez.
As a result, Perez, who finished seventh in Sao Paolo, will enter next week's Abu Dhabi Grand Prix tied for second in the Formula One championship standings with Ferrari's Charles Leclerc. Leclerc finished fourth in Sunday's race, behind his teammate Carlos Sainz.
Red Bull team principal Christian Horner said after Sunday's race that Verstappen will "fully support" Perez's bid for second in the standings in the final race of the year.
“We discuss these things internally,” said Horner after the race. “The drivers have obviously spoken about it as well. They are very, very clear. For us, Checo is now tied on points with Charles; Ferrari didn’t switch their cars round. And we go into Abu Dhabi, as a team, to do the very best that we can for Checo to achieve that second place, and Max will fully support that.
“The drivers have discussed it and shaken hands, and we’re absolutely focused on that next race,” Horner added. “Checo has done a phenomenal job all year, and he deserves that second place and I think that as a team we will do our very best to support that, to achieve that in Abu Dhabi.”
Verstappen seized sixth place from Perez late in Sunday's race a few laps after Fernando Alonso passed Perez for fifth. Verstappen was asked by the team to give the place back to Perez, but he refused to comply.
The 25-year-old, who has already clinched his second straight championship, said after the race he didn't believe his decision would come as a surprise to the team. He added, however, that he does plan to help Perez top Leclerc in the standings if the opportunity presents itself next week.
“That’s why I first went to speak to the team before I came here. We put everything on the table why, and I gave my reasons. I’m not going to say why, but I think they understood," Verstappen said. "I already explained it to them before, so it was not new to me, and not new to them.
“I think it’s more important as a team now that we finally sat together, altogether, and we really put everything on the table, and we move forward. We go to Abu Dhabi, of course we want to win the race, but also if there’s a chance to help Checo I will, but that’s why it was important we had this meeting now.”