Horner and Perez debunk presumed radio rift at Spa

Christian Horner and Sergio Perez explained the joke behind their intriguing radio exchange at the end of qualifying last weekend at Spa that led to wild speculation on social media.

Perez wrapped up his Q3 shootout on Friday with the third fastest time behind his Red Bull teammate Max Verstappen and Ferrari's Charles Leclerc.

Horner immediately congratulated the Mexican on his performance who replied: "Ah, you will talk to me now..."

The Red Bull team boss then quipped: "I will talk to you. I said to you top five, mate. You've blitzed it!"

In the minutes that followed, the exchange sent social media into a frenzy, with fans speculating about a falling out between Horner and Perez.

• Read also: Red Bull will investigate Perez's gap to Verstappen in Belgian GP

After last Sunday's Belgian Grand Prix, Perez shed light on the cryptic moment and on what had exactly gone down between himself and his team boss.

"It was a joke," Perez said. "He came before qualifying and said: ‘If you're not in the top three, I will not talk to you the rest of the weekend’.

"So, he was talking to me the rest of the weekend."

Horner latter added his two cents to the anecdote.

"I told him that I wasn't going to talk to him if he wasn't in the top five and I would squeeze a part of his anatomy if he wasn't," explained the Briton.

"It seemed to do the job, so we'll have to try that again in Zandvoort..."

On a more serious note, Perez appears to have finally emerged from his dismal period of underperformance that began at Monaco back in May.

Horner reckons that his driver's podiums in Hungary and in Belgium bode well for the back-half of the Mexican's season.

"I think he'll have taken a lot more confidence out of this weekend," he said.

"He put it on the front row. He led the grand prix, finished second, he's a clear second in the drivers' world championship, so I think he'll take some confidence out of it.

"I think that Checo knows that barring a disaster for Max that this championship is out of reach.

"So, it's about him maximising his own performance, not losing ground to any of the drivers behind and trying to pick up a few wins between now and the end of the year."

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