The fans at the Mexico City GP erupted with anger following the DNF of Sergio Perez after the Mexican collided with Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc. While the fans blame Leclerc for the incident, the Monegasque has come forth to defend himself by saying he had nowhere to go as was in the middle of a three-way battle for the lead.
Speaking to Jenson Button after the race (quoted in a report by Formula Passion), Leclerc explained that there was nothing he could have done to avoid the collision with Perez. He apologized for putting an end to Perez’s home race in the first lap but asserted there was little he could’ve done.
“I hear a lot of boos. I tell the public: I couldn’t go anywhere, I found myself in the middle of the Red Bulls and unfortunately I hit Checo. I had nowhere to go. It’s life: he damaged my car and his race ended there.”
A strong start off the blocks for both Red Bulls saw them go neck-to-neck with Leclerc’s Ferrari in the first corner of the race. Locked in a three-way battle for the lead out of the turn, Leclerc found himself in the middle of both Red Bulls, with Perez to his left. With either driver refusing to back off, Perez’s right rear tire rolled over Leclerc’s left front and sent him flying. Picking up irreparable damage from the collision, Perez’s race was over as soon as it began.
Having picked up a podium finish, Leclerc was at the receiving end of a harmony of boos. While Leclerc battled through the criticism from the home crowd, he wasn’t the only Ferrari man to have faced the wrath of Perez fans. A few Ferrari fans also had to suffer through the consequences of an unfortunate DNF for the local hero.
Perez’s clash with Charles Leclerc had dire consequences for some Ferrari fans
Following the Mexico City GP, a video emerged of a Perez fan engaging in a physical confrontation with some Ferrari fans. F1 journalist Chris Medland took to X to confirm a fan attacking two Ferrari fans in the Foro Sol. Later, he posted an update saying the fan had been ejected from the track and was given a lifetime ban from F1.
With his fans taking their anger out on other people, the woes for Sergio Perez have only gone up. A DNF meant Perez picked up 0 points from the race, which was a huge loss in his bid to secure P2 in the driver’s standings. Meanwhile, Lewis Hamilton secured a P2 finish in the race while also securing an extra point for the fastest lap of the race. As such, only 20 points separate the two, with three races left in the season.
Despite the loss of points, Christian Horner was not angry with his driver. Instead, he praised the 33-year-old for putting it all on the line and trying to take the lead in his home Grand Prix. He added he was gutted to see Checo crash out of his home race but asserted it was only a racing incident and there was no need to blame Perez for it.
