“The only decent thing about Checo Pérez was avoiding a sanction”: Red Bull boss did not hide his annoyance at the Mexican's poor performance in Japan

The driver Sergio ‘Checo’ Pérez continued to receive strong criticism from Red Bull and this time it was the team boss, Christian Horner, who criticized the Mexican’s brief and disastrous career in F1 in Japan.

Pérez had a first collision with Lewis Hamilton, he was able to return, since the team had not formally communicated that it was withdrawing the car. This “legal loophole” prevented the Mexican from being penalized, once again. He was already accumulating penalties for illegally passing Alonso and colliding with Magnussen. The incident with the latter was the final straw and he was ordered to retire from the paddock.

“It started badly. He ended up in a pinball on the way to Turn 1, that was bad luck for him. He had damage with Lewis (Hamilton) and broke the front wing. He then overtook Fernando (Alonso) at the entrance (to the pits) under the safety car and received a penalty,” stated Horner,

The only positive thing that Horner saw from this disaster is that the next Grand Prix, Qatar, will not mean starting with any deduction after the multiple mishaps caused by its driver.

“He comes out too optimistic, probably out of frustration, and tries to overtake Magnussen… another front wing (broken) and damage to the steering. So the only decent thing we managed to get out of today was not taking a penalty to the next race in Qatar,” he added.

Czech: “I was a victim of circumstances”

At the end of the race in Suzuka, the man from Guadalajara accepted the blame for the collision with Kevin Magnussen and said he was a “victim of circumstances” in the first mishap with Lewis Hamilton and Carlos Sainz.

“Since I released the clutch I started to spin, the tires got quite cold, we miscalculated the temperature and I didn’t have any traction. Arriving at the first corner, Sainz and Hamilton sandwiched me, I stayed in the middle,” he said.

“My car was damaged and it was very difficult to continue in the fast corner, I knew I had to try in the slow one and when I got in I had no more space, I touched Magnussen and it was totally my fault,” he concluded.

Keep reading:

Red Bull is already the constructors’ champion and Max Verstappen is one step away from winning the Formula 1 World Championship after winning the Japanese GP
“The issue of Pérez at the end of the season is resolved”: Ralf Schumacher predicts the departure of “Checo” from Red Bull
Max Verstappen on statements by Mexican Sergio “Checo” Pérez: “Our cars are the same”