Max Verstappen seemed 'surprised' upon receiving Red Bull team orders in Brazil, claims former F1 driver

Max Verstappen was left surprised by Red Bull Racing's team orders at the Brazilian Grand Prix last year, according to former F1 driver Mark Webber.

At Interlagos in 2022, Lewis Hamilton and Verstappen collided early in the race, which resulted in the former dropping to eighth and the latter much further down the grid as he had to pit for a new front wing. Verstappen was also given a five-second penalty for causing the collision.

While the Dutchman was able to make his way through the field, a late safety car meant that he was right on the tail of his teammate Sergio Perez. With the Mexican unable to catch those ahead of him, he allowed his teammate to pass him to try and catch Fernando Alonso.

When the 25-year-old failed to overtake the Spaniard, he was told by his engineer Gianpiero Lambiase to give the position back to Perez, who was fighting for second place in the World Drivers' Championship. Verstappen, however, refused to do so.

Webber, who raced for Red Bull from 2007 to 2013 and was involved in many team-order sagas himself, stated that Max Verstappen was surprised by the team's radio message during the Sao Paulo Grand Prix. He told Speedcafe:

"The communication with Max in Brazil seemed to surprise him somewhat. It was dealt with internally post-race. Trying to talk to the driver with the helmet on in the last laps of the race to try and get the full picture of what was going on is not always easy. There some things that should remain private within the teams."

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"Max Verstappen is way above the rest" - Red Bull Racing boss Christian Horner praises championship-winning Dutchman

Despite the drama that unfolded at times during the 2022 Formula 1 season, Max Verstappen and Red Bull Racing never lost sight of their targets. They put in a dominant season that saw the Dutchman win his second World Drivers' Championship title.

The team also regained the World Constructors' Championship for the first time since 2013.

Team principal Christian Horner recently showered Verstappen with praise for his achievements. He stated that the 25-year-old is currently 'way above the rest on the F1 grid and said:

"I never look too far ahead, but for me, Max Verstappen is way above the rest in Formula 1. I think we can achieve a lot more if we give him a car that matches his talent. There are only two drivers in Formula 1 who are halfway to the level of Verstappen, which are Leclerc and Hamilton."