Red Bull favoring Max?

[lkjohnson1950]

Arturo Elias Ayub, son in law of TelMex CEO Carlos Slim, issued a statement after the race at Spa saying R/B must be giving Max a better car because there is no way he could be so much faster than Checko on skill alone. He thinks Max has better parts, or different aero, or a lighter chassis or something. It all sounds very tin foil hat conspiracy theory to me, But R/B could have a problem with the crowd in Mexico City if they don't deal with it in some way. 

https://www.marca.com/en/f1/2023/07/31/64c795ac268e3ef2568b4584.html

[Dare]

Be nice to put Hamilton and LeClerc in Sergio's car
a few races and see if that's true

[Jericoke]

Red Bull favouring one driver over another?  What's next, the Pope is Catholic?

I don't believe that RBR is purposely holding Perez back, but yeah, they're giving Max the best parts and best people.  If there was any chance that Perez was the faster of the two, he'd have the full support of RBR and Max would be hung out to dry.

[Willy]

I think Marko and the Verstappen family are too tight for anything to come between them.
Max will always get preferential treatment as long as Marko is around.

[lkjohnson1950]

I agree.

[cosworth151]

It wouldn't surprise me to find out that Checo's car is set up exactly the same as Max's. If anything drastic should happen to Max's car in the course of a weekend it might suddenly acquire a number 1. I'm sure RBR has already found loopholes in the rules to make it happen.

I think Max (and probably Marko) have done a pretty good psych job on Perez, too.

[John S]

Can't see how they can really supply a different spec car to Perez, I think that might be the problem because of how they develop it.

Sure Max gets the benefit of direction for car development, which any team would do for someone leading the points by such a margin, and Perez has to make the best he can adapting himself to drive like Max.
Cars are so finely set for areo performance now there's probably only small set up changes available to Checo to help get it into window he enjoys.

Also can't ever remember anyone that matters in F1 even hinting that Checo was surefire WDC material in any team or car he's been in been. - Unlike Max who has seemed destined to be a winner & probable multiple champ from the get go.

Sounds to me like someone picking a fight to help end a sponsorship early,  - or maybe trying to wind Red Bull up enough to let Checo win the Mexican GP. 

[Willy]

Both Cos & John make good points that the cars should be set up the same in case Max needs Checo's car.
Every driver has his own unique way of driving and different set up in the car and RB will have done everything to cater to Max. Perez may not have the same needs but must work with a set up that is not exactly what he wants in case his car is required by "His Holiness".

[Alianora La Canta]

It wouldn't surprise me to find out that Checo's car is set up exactly the same as Max's. If anything drastic should happen to Max's car in the course of a weekend it might suddenly acquire a number 1. I'm sure RBR has already found loopholes in the rules to make it happen.

I think Max (and probably Marko) have done a pretty good psych job on Perez, too.

Given that Max and Checo have very different driving styles, I wouldn't be surprised if the set-up was more similar than it should be. I'm also not surprised that no allowance is made for developing the car to Checo's style, given that Red Bull has become the House of Max Verstappen. I'd also expect Max to get first call on any upgrades for the same reason. None of this requires any loopholes to be employed.

In addition, Checo appears to have been put under a lot of pressure not to challenge Max - I don't think the timing of when the downturn started is a coincidence.