Purple Bull Racing’s Mexican driver Sergio Perez (proper) meets Ferrari’s Monaco driver Charles Leclerc at the beginning of the F1 Mexican Grand Prix on the Hermanos Rodríguez Racecourse in Mexico Metropolis on October 29, 2023. collide with (Photograph courtesy of CLAUDIO CRUZ/AFP)
Sergio Perez says his first nook crash at Sunday’s dwelling Mexico Grand Prix was the saddest expertise of his profession.
The Purple Bull driver, who was having fun with the enthusiastic assist of his hometown, collided with Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc, who was aiming for the lead alongside his Purple Bull teammate, world champion Max Verstappen.
However 3-2 was inconceivable, he mentioned after bouncing into the run-off space, recovering from there and limping again to the pits to retire.
“There have been some actually unhappy moments in my profession,” he mentioned. “And positively that is the saddest factor contemplating the top outcome, however on the finish of the day it is only a race.”
The accident not solely ended Perez’s race after a robust begin from fifth on the grid, but in addition broken Leclerc’s Ferrari, with Perez damaging his entrance wing.
“I paid a excessive worth and took a danger.”
Sergio Perez shares his ideas on the Flip 1 collision 💥#F1 #MexicoGP pic.twitter.com/2NWC4qwBDn
— Formulation 1 (@F1) October 29, 2023
He continued, however was unable to withstand Mercedes’ seven-time champion Lewis Hamilton, and Verstappen sped on for his sixteenth win of the season and 51st of his profession, ending third behind Hamilton. .
Perez was adamant that he needed to take dangers to win in entrance of the followers in entrance of an enormous crowd on the Autodromo Hermanos Rodríguez.
“To be sincere, I felt like if I hadn’t finished it, I’d have allow them to down much more…I noticed the hole and determined to provide it a attempt,” he mentioned. “I made a decision to take a danger. I knew it was very dangerous, however I ended up paying the value.”
He added that he would make the identical determination once more.
The outcome did little to quell hypothesis about his future at Purple Bull after a disastrous run wherein he has failed to complete on the rostrum in 5 races for the reason that Italian Grand Prix on September 3.
Perez failed once more, however Hamilton’s factors allowed him to maneuver inside 20 factors of second place within the Drivers’ Championship. Purple Bull had by no means achieved a one-two end in a title race earlier than, in order that they had been targeted on this aim.
Verstappen leads with 491, Perez with 240 and Hamilton with 220.
And Daniel Ricciardo, probably the most touted drivers to switch Perez at Purple Bull in 2024, completed seventh, forward of Perez, who certified for AlphaTauri, and suffered a damaged hand. confirmed restoration.
“Some days are like this,” Perez mentioned. “What I’m pleased with is that I gave it my all. That’s it…”
Staff principal Christian Horner was sympathetic after the sport. “He launched like a rocket and had a lot momentum within the first nook that I can’t blame him for making an attempt to take the lead in his dwelling race.”
Horner added that now could be the time to assist Perez, not criticize him.
“He has 13 years’ expertise in F1 and I believe it is necessary to assist him when he is going by means of a troublesome second. As much as that time he had had an incredible weekend.”
The returning Australian praised Ricciardo’s maturity, expertise and tempo after the race, which he described as “the weekend I dreamed of and I obtained it”.
His success at AlphaTauri has seen the staff transfer into eighth place within the constructors’ championship, stage with Alfa Romeo on 16 factors, with Haas in tenth and backside of the desk in twelfth place.
