The example of Webber in 2010, a situation to avoid for Pérez?

There is a feeling of déjà vu in Red Bull in 2022. Look at the table: on the one hand, a young, very talented first driver ready to dominate the sport for the coming years and on whom the Austrian team is banking. On the other, a second very experienced pilot who poses as an old veteran of the Formula 1 but still hungry for victories. Both are positioned to play for the title. At the helm, chefs Christian Horner and Helmut Marko. Doesn’t that remind you of anything? Indeed, the case Verstappen-Pérez tastes like Hag-Webber, during the 2010 season.

The similarities are striking, with the exception that Sebastian Vettel was not yet champion that season, while Max Verstappen already has a title to his name. The destinies of the Mexican and the Australian are strangely linked, twelve years apart. And while Sergio Pérez has just won the Monaco Grand Prix (just like Mark Webber at the time), the 2010 scenario could very well be repeated in 2022…

2010: Webber, alone against everyone

Already 12 years ago, the hierarchy between the two drivers was established. Sebastian Vettel, the nugget made by Red Bull, became the natural leader of the team with his status as vice-world champion at only 22 years old. Mark Webber, present with the team since 2008, was put aside for the benefit of his teammate. At least, it had never been made official.

Tensions at Red Bull really began a few days after the Monegasque victory in“Aussie Grit”, during the Turkish Grand Prix. The two drivers, tied on points in the championship, had clashed while they were in 1st and 2nd and in a good position to offer a double to their bosses. At the time, if Christian Horner advocated a neutral position, the majority of the Red Bull clan defended the young German, starting with Helmut Marko.

The clash between Webber and Vettel in Turkey, the high point of tension at Red Bull © François Flamand / DPPI

A few weeks later, at Silverstone, another controversy: after an accident in free practice, Vettel received the new front wing which was initially installed on Webber's car. Despite this, the Australian still stood out, releasing a now cult phrase on the radio: “Not bad for a number 2 driver…”

If Vettel was the preferred driver for the title, it was Webber who had the advantage at the start of the last Grand Prix… before Red Bull's strategy condemned the Australian driver in Abu Dhabi. After losing the title to the wire at the expense of his teammate, Mark Webber will no longer be able to worry Sebastian Vettel and will be reduced to the simple role of model teammate. A role that he will have difficulty accepting until 2013, the year of his departure from F1.

2022: Does Pérez have any chance?

Twelve years after Webber therefore, again at Red Bull with Sergio Pérez. The Mexican has just won the Monaco Grand Prix and is only 15 points behind Max Verstappen in the championship. A situation which does not fail to create some tensions and questions on each side. During the Spanish Grand Prix, Checo was upset after letting his teammate pass while he was in front. He thus asked for explanations from Red Bull thereafter before he was told that he was not considered a number 2 driver.

Victorious in Monaco, Pérez could become a competitor to Verstappen for the title © Paulo Maria / DPPI

In Monaco, it was the other camp that did not appreciate the result. Denouncing a strategy that is too favorable for Sergio Pérez, the family of the world champion strongly criticized the choice of Red Bull not to favor the leader of the championship. In reaction to these comments, Christian Horner stepped up to the plate by specifying that “ Red Bull was not 'Max Verstappen Racing'. The team director also clarified that “It doesn't matter who is world champion, whether it's Checo or Max, they're both Red Bull drivers. » A neutral position therefore, like 12 years ago…

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Despite this strong sentence from Christian Horner, it is difficult to believe that Red Bull will want to play for the title with its two drivers against each other. A complex situation to manage while Ferrari is also in the running for the championship. But the most important thing will be to avoid implosion within the team in the event of friction on and off the track between Sergio Pérez and Max Verstappen. The slightest clash could have big repercussions within the team.

To ease the emerging tensions, Red Bull wanted to take the bull by the horns. Sergio Pérez signed a two-year contract extension after Monaco to ensure its future and that of the Austrian team. Twelve years after the Webber case, the Checo case will have to be managed better than at the time to escape this feeling of déjà vu.