Red Bull advisor Dr Helmut Marko has insisted that there were no team orders implemented during the Azerbaijan Grand Prix.
Sergio Perez took his second win of the season at Baku, benefitting from a Safety Car that was deployed following a crash for Nyck de Vries.
Team-mate Max Verstappen was leading early on before dropping back when he made a pit stop just before the Safety Car was deployed.
Marko told Sky Sports Germany that Red Bull couldn’t wait any longer to bring Verstappen in due to the condition of his tyres.
“He had complaints about the rear tyres, so that was the right moment to bring him in,” he said.
“We have said that before. Sometimes you benefit from the Safety Car, sometimes not. The damage was limited in the end.”
With his victory, Perez has closed the gap to Verstappen in the Drivers’ Championship and is now just six points behind his team-mate ahead of the upcoming round in Miami.
Verstappen overtook Charles Leclerc to take second place after the Safety Car restart, but was unable to mount an attack on Perez.
Marko has denied that Red Bull intervened with team orders in a bid to bring both cars home safely.
“Everything was fine,” he said. “He was faster in the car again in the last 10 laps, before that he didn’t have the right balance.
“Halfway through the race he had no chance against Perez, but that was because of the balance of the car.
“The fact that they are fighting among themselves makes for a raised heart rate, but it’s also part of the sport.
“We gave no team orders. Perez asked five laps before the end if the pace could be reduced, but we just let the two drivers race. No risk, no fun.”
