F1 fans were baffled following a recent Red Bull social media post that labelled Max Verstappen as a lion while labeling Sergio Perez as simply a ‘friendly dog.’
Fans took attention of a highly controversial post on Red Bull’s social media profile on X, but rather in an unflattering manner. The image featured in the post with the description “The lion and the friendly dog” shows Sergio Perez on the right and Max Verstappen on the left.
Fans argue that the post implies Perez is the friendly dog while Verstappen is the lion. This comes in light of the fact that the three-time world champion finished the current season with the strength of a lion while Perez appeared to be struggling for podium finishes with the same car, particularly in the second half of the season.
Perez’s 2023 season was turbulent; even though he won two of the first four races, he would finish the season without taking the coveted top spot.
Meanwhile, Verstappen went on to win every race except for one, which was won by Carlos Sainz in Singapore. He would go on to set a remarkable record, winning 19 of the scheduled 22 races.
Perez, who was obviously not at his best, disclosed the challenges of being Verstappen’s teammate. Red Bull advisor Dr. Helmut Marko also criticized him.
Notwithstanding the fact that his contract expires at the end of next year’s campaign, the whirlwind of challenges led some in the media to doubt his future with the team. In order to cope with the stress, the 33-year-old driver went as far as seeking psychological support.
As Verstappen’s teammate, Perez has frequently been linked to Red Bull’s disinterest, with some even speculating that the Mexican’s guaranteed 2024 drive may be in jeopardy.
For those who continue to harbor doubts about Red Bull favouring Verstappen over Perez, their most recent social media humor served to confirm them.
The team, however, mockingly cited a recent response from Perez himself when he was questioned what animal he believes he would be most closely connected with, indicating that there was absolutely no malicious intent behind the tweet.
However, this did not stop fans from expressing their dismay on social media concerning what appeared to be Red Bull labelling Perez as a dog.
