Red Bull’s Sergio Perez retired early in the Mexican Grand Prix at the Autodromos Hermanos Rodrigues in Mexico City due to a collision with Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc heading into turn 1 at lights out. This resulted in the Mexican losing out on an opportunity to extend his lead from the seven-time World Champion Lewis Hamilton, who stands in third place now, just 20 points behind the Red Bull driver.
Omg Checo was crying in the car😭. #MexicoGp pic.twitter.com/qSd0xX9ZCi
— Unicorn🦄 (@hamburgerh0tdog) October 29, 2023
Amongst all the commotion, a video has surfaced showing Sergio Perez ‘crying’ in his RB19 in the pits as he is retired. Perez started the race at P5 and was expected to deliver a good performance at his home Grand Prix after a string of weak performances in the last few races.
The race result further contributed to the doubt surrounding his future with Red Bull, as he has been on a difficult streak, failing to finish on the podium in five races since the Italian Grand Prix.
What did Sergio Perez say about his early retirement in Mexico City?
After the race, the driver commented, “I’ve had some really sad moments in my career, and certainly, this is the saddest one because of the end result, At the end of the day, it’s all about racing.” This spectacular incident not only stopped Perez’s race but also caused damage to Leclerc’s front wing.
Despite his resolve, Leclerc was unable to hold off the tenacious Lewis Hamilton, the Mercedes’ seven-time world champion, and had to settle for third place.
Sergio Perez explained that his decision to challenge the limits and vie for victory in front of his home fans had been motivated by a profound sense of responsibility. He stated that, honestly, he believed that he would have disappointed the audience more had he refrained from doing so.
📰: Christian Horner responds to the contrasting results of Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez in Mexico City.#F1#MexicoGP
— F1 Naija (@f1_naija) October 29, 2023
The race also drew attention to Daniel Ricciardo, who is frequently mentioned as a possible replacement for Perez in 2024.
Ricciardo’s excellent performance was clear, especially given that he had recovered from a broken hand, as he finished eighth in his Alpha Tauri, out-qualifying Perez. “You have days like this,” he said, expressing his delight in giving his best effort.
Red Bull team principal Christian Horner commented on Perez’s performance “He’s got 13 years’ experience in F1 and I think when you’re going through a difficult moment, it’s important to support him. He was having a great weekend until that point.”
The Briton also defended Sergio Perez in the fact that he had experienced a remarkably powerful start and noted the tremendous momentum he had gathered in the first corner.