Mercedes driver blames Verstappen for Perez crash
Mercedes driver blames Verstappen for Perez crash
Mercedes development driver Esteban Gutierrez has shifted some blame for Sergio Perez's crash at the Mexcian Grand Prix to his Red Bull team-mate Max Verstappen.
Mexico's homecoming hero, Perez, had high hopes for his race in Mexico City, however, it quickly turned into a nightmare as he collided with Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc in a chaotic Turn 1 incident.
Verstappen seized the opportunity to forge ahead, leaving his unfortunate compatriot to nurse his wounded RB19 back to the pits. Ultimately, Red Bull decided to cut short Perez's race as their efforts to restore the car proved futile.
An understandably disappointed Perez exited the cockpit far earlier than anticipated, leaving his home crowd disheartened.
READ MORE: EXCLUSIVE: Verstappen setup quirk which allows Red Bull to make car even faster
While fans and pundits around the world have suggested that an under pressure Perez shouldn't have gambled his entire race into Turn 1, fellow Mexican Gutierrez praised the Red Bull driver for his ambitious move.
"It's a pity for Perez and a pity for Mexico," said Gutierrez to the F1 Nation podcast after the race.
"I think he was really brave for trying that move. I mean, in that kind of situation, as a driver, when you get such a good start, you go all in sometimes. And that's when you sometimes find yourself in that kind of situation."
Hometown hero horror
Gutierrez then went on to suggest Perez was unlucky and that Verstappen set off a chain reaction which caused the shunt.
"There was a bit of bad luck," continued the driver. "An unlucky position there as well because Max moved a bit to the left and then squeezed Charles, and then, of course, Charles had nowhere to go.
"So, if you think about it, yes, it was probably a bit too aggressive. But yeah, it's just a shame. But I'm sure he'll recover quickly."
The repercussions of this crash reverberate through the drivers' standings, reigniting the battle for the second spot.
Mercedes star Lewis Hamilton, who finished in second place, significantly closed the gap to Perez in the drivers' championship race.
The Mexican now leads Hamilton by 20 points, setting the stage for an intense championship showdown with only three races left on the calendar.
READ MORE: Unstoppable Verstappen is a MAJOR PROBLEM for F1
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F1 Standings
Drivers
- Oliver Bearman
- Charles Leclerc
- Carlos Sainz
- Lando Norris
- Oscar Piastri
- Pierre Gasly
- Esteban Ocon
- Sergio Pérez
- Max Verstappen
- Alexander Albon
- Logan Sargeant
- Lewis Hamilton
- George Russell
- Nico Hülkenberg
- Kevin Magnussen
- Fernando Alonso
- Lance Stroll
- Valtteri Bottas
- Zhou Guanyu
- Daniel Ricciardo
- Yuki Tsunoda
Races
- Gulf Air Grand Prix of Bahrain 2024
- Saudi Arabian Grand Prix 2024
- Grand Prix of Australia 2024
- MSC Cruises Grand Prix of Japan 2024
- Grand Prix of China 2024
- Miami Grand Prix 2024
- Gran Premio dell'Emilia Romagna 2024
- Grand Prix of Monaco 2024
- Grand Prix du Canada 2024
- Gran Premio de España 2024
- Grand Prix of Austria 2024
- Grand Prix of Great Britain 2024
- Grand Prix of Hungary 2024
- Grand Prix of Belgium 2024
- Heineken Dutch Grand Prix 2024
- Grand Prix of Italy 2024
- Grand Prix of Azerbaijan 2024
- Grand Prix of Singapore 2024
- Grand Prix of the United States 2024
- Gran Premio de la Ciudad de Mexico 2024
- Grande Prêmio de São Paulo 2024
- Heineken Silver Las Vegas Grand Prix 2024
- Qatar Grand Prix 2024
- Grand Prix of Abu Dhabi 2024
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