28/10/2024
NEWS STORY
Sergio Perez has criticised Liam Lawson following their clash in Mexico, the Red Bull driver claiming that the New Zealander "doesn't have the right attitude" for F1.
Of course, the Mexican's opinion would not have anything to do with the fact that the youngster appears to be a shoo-in for his seat as the veteran suffers another 'point-less' weekend.
Battling for ninth in the early stages of the race, the RB driver refused to yield to the Mexican and in the process clouted his Red Bull causing damage to the sidepod and floor edge.
Combined with a 5s penalty for starting out of position, the damage to his car - not to mention his diminishing job prospects for 2025 - hardly put Perez in the best of moods.
Therefore imagine how he felt late in the race when Lawson gave him the finger after pitting for a new front wing.
"I had the manoeuvre into Turn 4," insisted Perez, "and then he was outside the track and just came straight like if there was no car.
"I think he could have avoided the incident," he continued, "but he just went back. Luckily I saw him and I opened room otherwise it would have been a massive crash. There was no need. We damaged both of our races. It was a little bit too much.
"He's not getting any penalties as well," aid the Mexican. "He did the same with Fernando, with Franco in the end. There are no penalties, so none of this is his fault as well."
Asked about his relationship with the kiwi, the Mexican snapped: "I don't have any relationship with him. I think the way he has come to Formula 1, I don't think he has the right attitude for it. He needs to be a bit more humble.
"When a two-time world champion was saying things last weekend, he completely ignored him. It's like when you come to Formula 1, you're obviously very hungry and so on, but you have to be respectful as well, off track and on track.
"I don't think he's showing the right attitude. I think he's a great driver and I hope for him that he can step back and learn from it. In his first two grands prix he has had many incidents. I think there will be a point where it can cost him too much, like it did this weekend.
"I just think that he has to have the right attitude to say: 'Look, probably I'm overdoing it a little bit, I will step back and start again'. Because if you don't learn from your mistakes, Formula 1 is a brutal world and he might not continue."
Asked if Lawson might perhaps be seeking to impress his potential bosses at Red Bull, Perez replied: "Well, he nearly crashed with Fernando last weekend, he nearly crashed with Franco. I think he's just racing everyone out of control at the moment."
"I left him space into Turn 4," insisted Lawson, "he was coming in very, very late. "I tried to give him space, he drove me off the track, and then he didn't give me space into Turn 5. It's unfortunate. It wasn't my intention."
Asked about the incident later in the race, when he gesticulated at Perez, he said: "It's obviously one of those in-the-moment things. He spent half the lap blocking me, trying to ruin my race, so I was upset.
"It's not an excuse," he added. "I shouldn't have done it and I apologise for that. It's not in my character and I shouldn't have done it."
Unable to make a pass on Lance Stroll in the final phase of the race, Lawson fell into the clutches of the charging Colapinto, and it was as they battled for position that they clashed and the RB incurred a damaged front wing.
"I tried to give him space in Turn 1 and I gave him plenty of space in Turn 2," he said. "He obviously carried a lot of speed in and at that point, when I saw the speed he was carrying, I tried to brake and get out of it. I ran out of space and it was just a clumsy incident.
"I don't really put it on him," he added, "I don't think it was really his fault, it was just an unnecessary incident.
"The strategy was probably the hardest part of that race," said the New Zealander of a day that saw him cross the line in sixteenth. "We just couldn't get the clean air to utilise it. Once those fast cars got us early on, then we were just stuck in traffic and it was a frustrating race."
Check out our Sunday gallery from Mexico City here.