What masochist is writing this year’s Formula 1 script? He does not fancy Sergio Perez as the underfire Red Bull driver, shot himself in the foot with a rookie mistake on his first lap in FP1 for the Hungarian Grand Prix when he least needs it.
This was the absolute worst start for a weekend that Perez could have endured. Plain cruel this fate thing! He needed a clean weekend, he knew it was a big one at Hungaroring. And before he even started he was in the wall.
It was a rookie error, he clipped the grass lost the car and speared into the tyre barriers in Turn 5. The left front was trashed. And Perez blurted over the radio: “No! I cannot believe this.”
With Daniel Ricciardo called up for an F1 return after the organisation mercilessly ditched ten-race rookie Nyck de Vries from his AlphaTauri seat, Perez is under even more pressure should the Australian dazzle this weekend.
Ricciardo made it clear that being Max Verstappen’s teammate is his goal. This the first race on that journey which could come to fruit as Perez is simply digging a bigger hole for himself, and risks being swallowed up by it if today is anything to go by.
A broken #11 Red Bull is becoming a familiar sight these days in F1
“The dream is a Red Bull seat, but there is no: this is what you need to do to achieve that. Given what has happened over the past few years and taking time off, I knew it would be hard to get back in at the top,” said Ricciardo ahead of his 233rd Grand Prix start this Sunday.
Despite the looming threat of Dan, Checo appeared unperturbed on Thursday when he told the media at Hungaroring: “I’m happy for Daniel, he’s very motivated to be back, so well done to him. It’s a great opportunity for him. From my side, it doesn’t change anything because I drive for Red Bull.”
Indeed he does, a Red Bull whose bosses Helmut Marko and Christian Horner are not famed for their Patience. The more he makes mistakes like he did today, the better the chance he won’t be driving for RBR in future.
The incident brought out the Red flag, at which point the skies opened up over Hungaroring. Perez was seen in a conversation with Marko, in the RBR pit garage, after the incident.
Horner commented on the veteran’s error: “He just misjudged it. It was just a mistake. You could hear the frustration in his voice.”
Awaiting official comment from Perez and Red Bull. Report in progress…
Not the start we wanted to FP1…but Checo is okay and out of the car
— Oracle Red Bull Racing (@redbullracing) July 21, 2023
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