Perez calls for Red Bull discussions over Spanish GP team orders

The Mexican was leading towards the end of the Spanish GP when he was told over the radio not to hold up his pursuing team-mate – who had been switched on to an alternative tyre strategy.

But, having earlier not been given clear air to pass Verstappen and attack George Russell when he had a tyre advantage, he made clear that he felt the subsequent call was ‘unfair’.

While a later switch to softs meant he finished more than 13 seconds behind Verstappen anyway, Perez told his bosses on the team radio after the 1-2 finish that, while happy for the team, he wanted some clarification about events.

“I’m happy for the team, but we need to speak later,” he said.

Perez was pushed on the matter in the post-race television interviews, but was diplomatic about the way that a possible win had got away from him.

“I think it was close,” he said. “But at the end it is a great team result. I’m happy for that.”

Asked about the frustrations he had expressed on the team radio, Perez said: “We were on different tyre strategies at the time.

“I let Max by in the beginning, then I thought at the time I could go by and not lose crucial seconds to make my strategy work. But anyway, it’s a good team result.”