At Interlagos in 2022, Lewis Hamilton and Verstappen collided early in the race, which resulted in the former dropping to eighth and the latter much further down the grid as he had to pit for a new front wing. Verstappen was also given a five-second penalty for causing the collision.
While the Dutchman was able to make his way through the field, a late safety car meant that he was right on the tail of his teammate Sergio Perez. With the Mexican unable to catch those ahead of him, he allowed his teammate to pass him to try and catch Fernando Alonso.
When the 25-year-old failed to overtake the Spaniard, he was told by his engineer Gianpiero Lambiase to give the position back to Perez, who was fighting for second place in the World Drivers’ Championship. Verstappen, however, refused to do so.
Webber, who raced for Red Bull from 2007 to 2013 and was involved in many team-order sagas himself, stated that Max Verstappen was surprised by the team’s radio message during the Sao Paulo Grand Prix. He told Speedcafe:
“Max Verstappen is way above the rest” - Red Bull Racing boss Christian Horner praises championship-winning Dutchman
Despite the drama that unfolded at times during the 2022 Formula 1 season, Max Verstappen and Red Bull Racing never lost sight of their targets. They put in a dominant season that saw the Dutchman win his second World Drivers’ Championship title.
The team also regained the World Constructors’ Championship for the first time since 2013.
Team principal Christian Horner recently showered Verstappen with praise for his achievements. He stated that the 25-year-old is currently ‘way above the rest on the F1 grid and said:
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