Perez took the lead fro🌌m reigning world champion V𓄧erstappen at the first corner and then appeared to edge his teammate onto the grass on the run to Turn 3. 

Verstappen fought back to reclaim t🍸he lead at Turn 3 but forced Perez wide in🎉 the process, with the Mexican losing a position to Haas driver Nico Hulkenberg. 

Perez, who went on to finish second behind his teammate, expressed his anger with Verstappen o🌳ver team radio, while Verstappen said Perez’s mov🐈e out of Turn 1 was “really not OK”. 

"It was a good start,” Perez said. “A bit of a fight with Max - ended up losing a place to Nico. He was🦋 very strong in the first few laps and it was hard to get by him.

"I thinkꦍ Max was angry that I went into Turn Two. But I didn't see him there. I had a bad Turn One, so I tried to protect.

"One I realised he was there, I opened the door and gave the place ℱback into Turn Two. But it was all fine, w🌸e spoke about it.

"Although we were 1-2, it was very bad the visibility out ther🔯e.”

Verstappen described the first lap as “h♏airy” but said the pair had since discussed it and moved on. 

"The start wasn't ideal, a bit of wheelspin.

"But after lap 1 wꦡhen we got back into the lead it was just about managing the tyres, knowing if it wasn't going to rain any more that 24 laps on intermediates was quite long.

"The slicks were quite a bit faster the last five laps but for us so far in the lead it didn't make sense to pit. We just hung in ther💫ಌe.

"It was a little bit of a hairy moment out of Turn One. When you get forced onᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚ⁤⁤⁤⁤ᩚ⁤⁤⁤⁤ᩚ⁤⁤⁤⁤ᩚ𒀱ᩚᩚᩚto the grass it's very slippery but we managed to keep 🔯control and from there we just did our race again."

Verstappen a꧋nd Perez later downplayed the♈ir first-lap tussle in the press conference.