Red Bull Confirm Team Orders Are In Place For Azerbaijan Grand Prix - 'Game Plan Is Straightforward'

Saajan Jogia | Sep 14, 2024

Max Verstappen of the Netherlands driving the (1) Oracle Red Bull Racing RB19 on track during the F1 Grand Prix of Azerbaijan at Baku City Circuit on April 30, 2023 in Baku, Azerbaijan. (Photo by Alex Pantling/Getty Images) / Red Bull Content Pool

Red Bull team principal Christian Horner admitted that team orders are in place for the Azerbaijan Grand Prix in Baku, where the circuit's expert driver Sergio Perez will support his teammate Max Verstappen for a race win if the situation arises.

With Red Bull leading the Constructors' Championship by just 8 points over McLaren and with Verstappen leading Lando Norris by 62 points, Horner has his plans in place to try and extend the lead from McLaren and secure victory in both championships.

The Milton Keynes outfit also has a new floor in place on the RB20 F1 car, aimed at overcoming the balance problem that caused severe handling problems on the car. The performance suffered to such an extent that Verstappen finished second at his home race in Zandvoort with a 23-second gap behind Norris. In addition, his sixth-place finish at Monza, followed by Perez in eighth highlighted serious problems with the car.

On the bright side, the Baku City Circuit is Perez's strong point. The 34-year-old driver secured the most number of race wins in the street race, offering Red Bull the much-needed optimism for the race weekend. When Horner was asked if he would prioritize Verstappen over Perez during the Grand Prix, he told Sky Sports F1, as quoted by Motorsport.com:

“It depends where the others are.

“Team orders are always a contentious subject, but Checo knows 100% what his role and job is – to support Max to the end of this championship – and obviously the constructors'.

“We have seen him, you only have to think back to Abu Dhabi 2021 to see what a team player Checo is, so for us the game plan is pretty straightforward. I would love that headache to be managing on the last few laps!”

When the team boss was asked the reason for Perez's stronghold of Baku, he said:

“I have no idea.

“It makes no logical sense in that it is high-speed straights with barriers, 90-degree corners, but he has always been magic around here. If he had a 24-race championship in Azerbaijan he would be pretty tough to beat. It is important to carry that momentum into the race.”

Perez attracted heavy criticism for his performance slump mid-season, which followed rumors of his Red Bull exit, despite his contract extension signing in June. However, it wasn't until Verstappen encountered similar struggles with Red Bull's title contender that the underlying issues became apparent. As a result, the Mexican driver was relieved of the burden of underperformance, which has contributed to his confidence, according to Horner. He added:

“He has been walking a half-inch taller after that, it was sort of ‘look it is not just me’, and I think psychologically for him it has really lifted him – and there are a couple of tracks, we always knew that theoretically this track and Singapore should be two of his better circuits, and hopefully he can have a strong weekend.”