Sergio Perez a ‘team player’ but wants to fight Max Verstappen with ‘competitive’ Red Bull car

Perez seemed to disagree with team orders at the Spanish Grand Prix

Red Bull drivers Max Verstappen (left) and Sergio Perez finished have a healthy competition (David Davies/PA) (PA Wire)

Red Bull team principal Christian Horner insists Sergio Perez is a “team player” but the driver wants to fight for results in a “competitive car”.

There was push back from Perez at Spanish Grand Prix with the team orders as he asked for teammate Max Verstappen to move out of the way. Perez eventually got to the front but was asked to move for Verstappen. The Mexican driver believed he had the pace to take the win but it was Verstappen who took top spot as Red Bull claimed a one-two.

Horner says Perez is mature enough to deal with having a defending champion as a teammate.

“Being Max Verstappen’s teammate is a bit of a head-screw for any driver, but I think Checo has got the maturity to deal with that at the stage he’s at in his career and with the experience that he’s got,” said Horner per RacingNews365.com.

“He’s finally got himself into a competitive car and he wants to make the very best of that at this point in his career.

“He knows that he gets the same equipment, the same chance, but I think he’s realistic in his expectations as well. And he’s very much a team player.”

And while Perez was happy about the result for the team, he has said he will be discussing team orders ahead of the Monaco Grand Prix on Sunday.

“There are a few things we’ll discuss internally, just to understand what went on,” he said. “When you are driving, you don’t understand much of the bigger picture you know, so I think it’s just a normal thing.

“The team momentum couldn’t be any better, so it’s a great team, we are very united and we just have to discuss a few things internally, that’s it.”