Red Bull look back at stellar year – but something controversial is missing

Ewan Gale

Tuesday 20 December 2022 14:55 – Updated: 14:56

Red Bull has released a video review of the season, with team principal Christian Horner joined by Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez – only a key point in the campaign has failed to make the cut.

The team secured both championships this year, with Verstappen in sublime form as his 15 victoriess broke the record of 13 previously held by Michael Schumacher and Sebastian Vettel.

Perez added two of his own in Monaco and Singapore but narrowly missed out on beating Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc to second in the standings.

During Red Bull’s video, numerous moments are recounted, such as the title-clinching highs in Japan and the United States, as well as Verstappen’s best wins and Perez’s finest moments.

But it is during the review of the Mexican’s triumphs that there is a startling omission.

Perez’s greatest achievement in F1 to date, winning the Monaco Grand Prix, is omitted other than a single clip of him jumping into the pool in celebration and a dubbed-over piece of team radio from Horner.

This only adds fuel to the fire of what is perceived to be a falling out between Perez and Verstappen during that weekend that ultimately led to the team orders furore in Brazil.

During the review, as a clip shows Perez standing in celebration at the Jeddah Corniche Circuit, Verstappen says: “That’s Saudi, the pole.”

“It was a great lap, a massive lap,” adds Perez, before Horner describes it as the “best lap of your career”.

Flicking directly to Singapore, Horner commented: “That was a crazy race with the wet-dry, wet-dry,” as Verstappen added that it was “not easy”.

“It was quite physical to the end of the race,” Perez remembered, with his team-mate adding: “If you have to push to the end on a track like that, it’s tough.”