The Perez crash, a risk taken at home that has consequences

This Sunday marked the conclusion of the 19th Grand Prix of the season in Mexico. It was a 16th victory for Max Verstappen, breaking his own record for the number of wins in a season. He once again dominated the race, finishing 15 seconds ahead of second-place Lewis Hamilton, despite a mid-race restart caused by Magnussen’s red flag. Charles Leclerc, who started in pole position, completed the podium.

But the defining moment of this race remains the fatal collision of the local racer, Sergio Perez. The Mexican is experiencing a nightmarish end to the season, which continues to darken with this retirement in the first corner, after a crash with Charles Leclerc’s Ferrari in front of all his supporters.

For Max Verstappen, questioned about his teammate’s overtake, his reaction is mixed. I understand, as it’s his home Grand Prix. You want to be on the podium, I perfectly understand that he took the outside line and tried. Looking at the images, I think he could have given a bit more space, but on the other hand, if it had worked, it would have been superb. I think it’s just the excitement of wanting to get on the podium and this time, it didn’t work, unfortunately.

Perez wanted to take the risk

Sergio Perez spoke at a press conference about his gesture and whether it was worth it. “I decided to take a risk. I knew it was going to be very risky and ended up paying the price for it,” he said before adding.

In his garage, still in his race car, the Mexican’s eyes said a lot about his state of mind. « I have experienced really sad moments in my career, but this race is certainly the saddest because of the final result. »

Sergio Perez admitted to certain media that he did not expect to see Leclerc’s Ferrari brake so late. To be honest, I did not expect Charles’ action. He was in the middle, with less room to maneuver and not enough to brake as late as me or Max. I simply think there was no space for three cars. It was a true racing incident.

With hindsight, I shouldn’t say this, but I may have been better off stepping back and going home. Especially during your home Grand Prix and after being on the podium twice in a row.

« I went all out. I am very sad about the final result because in the first round, to finish the race of your home Grand Prix, it’s really very sad. »

But on the other hand, I am proud of myself because I gave it my all. Very proud of my team, we gave it our all the entire weekend. We probably had the best start of the year, so we went for it.

The boos from the public towards Charles Leclerc

The Mexican fans saw Perez being taken out by Charles Leclerc at the first corner. However, even though there was contact, Charles Leclerc didn’t have much else room to go, with Max Verstappen being on his right.

Charles Leclerc commented on his experience amidst the boos from the Mexican crowd in the Foro Sol, the iconic stadium of the Mexican circuit: (e) A day like this is obviously not the most pleasant because there were quite a few boos once I grabbed the microphone. But I can understand that there is a lot of disappointment for the fans who have been waiting for this moment for a year and then see their favorite driver spin out in turn 1, which is a shame.

“But once again, as I said about the incident, I couldn’t have done any better,” concludes Charles Leclerc.

A crash that results in Lewis Hamilton’s comeback. The Mexican driver now only has a 20-point lead in the drivers’ standings over the Mercedes driver. Perez has only three Grand Prix races left to keep his second place.