Sky Sports F1 commentator David Croft has fired a warning to Red Bull over the ongoing friction between Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez.

The Austrian team has been the undisputed top team of the 2023 Formula One season so far, thanks to their driver line-up of Verstappen and Perez, and the RB19. However, it seems like the team’s smooth ride to the top has hit a few bumps, and some internal struggles could put their success at risk.

Two-time champion Verstappen had a disappointing outing at the Saudi Arabia Grand Prix, where he had to settle for second place behind his teammate Perez. The Dutchman was fuming after the race, blaming a driveshaft issue for his failure to secure pole position on Saturday.

Things got even more awkward when Verstappen’s father, Jos, appeared to ignore Perez during the post-race celebrations. To add fuel to the fire, Perez was unhappy about Verstappen snatching the fastest lap of the race from him at the last minute.

Sky Sports F1 lead commentator David Croft has noted that these incidents could lead to trouble for Red Bull in the future. While the team is dominating the track, there are indications that not everything is well behind the scenes.

Speaking on the Sky Sports F1 Podcast, Croft commented:

“I am not sure everything is how Christian Horner would like it and how the team would like it for a smooth domination.

“They are dominating Formula 1 on the track but they came very close to not having that one-two in Bahrain and had issues [in Saudi Arabia].

“In the cooldown room after the race, there was still friction between the two drivers. Checo was not a happy man at being asked to do target lap times that were slower than his team-mate.”

Croft went on to discuss Perez’s contract with the team which is due to expire at the end of this season. He continued:

“Perez is in the last year of his contract and if there are no signs of another deal coming, what’s in it for Sergio to help his team-mate in the way Red Bull would like? I think there are a few banana skins down the road.

“As for Max’s dad, all is clearly now well in Jos Verstappen’s mind when his son finishes and leads the world championship, yet he can barely break a smile!”