Sergio Perez's unexpected ascent has shifted the goalposts at Red Bull

The ancient art of wrestling is officially Azerbaijan’s national sport. And while it is the more modern pursuit of Formula One which is set to rock the former Soviet republic this weekend, there will be no shortage of mano-a-mano battles in Baku. Not least between team-mates.

Sergio Perez’s win in Monaco last time out has added another intriguing dimension to a season which is becoming increasingly difficult to call. The Mexican’s victory - only his third in over 200 starts dating back to 2011 - has lifted the 32-year-old to within 15 points of Red Bull team-mate Max Verstappen at the top of the drivers’ standings.

It has also provided the 2022 season with yet another case of a ‘No 2’ driver taking it to the main man at his team.

With George Russell having beaten Mercedes superior Lewis Hamilton at every race going back to the first in Bahrain, and Carlos Sainz closing the gap to Ferrari team-mate Charles Leclerc in the last couple of races, that is now all three of the sport’s leading teams who have genuine intra-team battles on their hands.

Perez’s challenge to Verstappen is arguably the most fascinating of all, if only because it is the least expected.

It has become a longstanding truism at Red Bull that Verstappen destroys his team-mates to such a degree they are eventually forced to leave the team. Perez himself had trouble keeping pace with the Dutchman in his debut season with Red Bull last year, when he scored less than half the points of the world champion in the same car.

But he appears far more comfortable with the new regulations this season, claiming an impressive maiden pole position in Saudi Arabia in March, fighting for victory again in Spain before winning in Monaco after being the clearly quicker Red Bull driver all weekend.