Red Bull have ‘problem on their hands’ as Sergio Perez looks to dethrone Max Verstappen

Red Bull have a serious ‘problem on their hands’ as Sergio Perez is ‘getting closer’ to Max Verstappen, says Damon Hill. The 1996 champion has warned both drivers want to be world champion which could force Red Bull to manage an inter-team battle.

Hill said: “In the Red Bull team, any team that’s got two cars in contention has a problem on its hands. It’s a nice problem to have but they both want to be world champion.

“He’s already been world champion once, he’s never been world champion. That’s such a massive thing for a driver.

“Think about Sergio, years in the wilderness. Now here he is, in contention. You’d be forgiven for thinking he’s leading the world championship, he’s not, his teammate is leading the world championship but he’s getting closer all the time.”

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There were fears the team would prioritise Verstappen after Perez was asked to let the Dutchman through in Spain. However, Horner stressed ahead of Baku that this was not the case

He said: “It doesn’t matter to us which of the two is world champion. Of course, the constructors’ is enormously important. But whether it’s Max or Checo, they’re both Red Bull drivers, and they’ve both got the same chance.

“Of course, it’s a long, long season, and it will have its ebbs and flows. But it’s great to have both drivers right at the sharp end. Checo is in the form of his career, he’s doing a great job. And it’s not a one-off. I mean, we saw his pole position in Jeddah. And he’s really hitting a rich vein of form.”