F1 winner makes savage jibe at Perez over huge 'mistake'

The Mexican struggled with his form in 2023

Sam Cook Digital Journalist

Sports Journalist who has been covering motorsport since 2023

Sunday 24 December 2023 09:57

Former Formula 1 race winner Gerhard Berger has slammed a 'beginner' mistake from Sergio Perez which let Charles Leclerc past him on the final lap of the Las Vegas Grand Prix.

The Mexican had a poor season in 2023, a season that was plagued by costly mistakes and inconsistent performances which left him 290 points behind his supreme team-mate Max Verstappen.

His qualifying performances were largely what let him down, only qualifying in the top four once in the last 17 races of the season, despite driving what has been described as the 'most successful car in F1 history'.

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However, it is one particular raceday performance that has led to the latest barrage of criticism, this time from a man who claimed 10 race wins in the sport between 1984-1997.

Sergio Perez has been massively outperformed by his team-mate in all three seasons that they have spent together

Max Verstappen claimed 19 victories in 2023, including 10 in a row

Sergio Perez claimed victory in the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, his most recent race victory

Perez's rookie error

Berger believes that Perez's inability to keep the slower Ferrari of Leclerc behind him on the final lap of the Las Vegas GP represents an unusual mistake for somebody so experienced.

"Yes, if you lump Max and Pérez together, then on average Helmut [Marko] will be fine again," he told Kronen Zeitung.

"Just looking at Leclerc's overtaking manoeuvre against Perez on the last lap of the grand prix in Las Vegas, I have to say that not even a beginner makes such a mistake."

Red Bull Max Verstappen Lewis Hamilton Christian Horner Charles Leclerc Sergio Perez