Horner says ‘can’t blame’ Perez for Mexico GP crash as P2 battle with Hamilton intensifies

Lap 1 of the Mexico City Grand Prix saw homeboy Sergio Perez colliding with polesitter Charles Leclerc, sending his RB19 into the air and off the track. While he managed to return to the pits, the damage to his car proved irreparable and Perez was forced to retire from his home event. RBR boss Christian Horner has now defended Perez, saying that he can’t be blamed for the crash.
“He was very emotional as you can imagine, but he is a racing driver – he had to go for it.You can’t place the blame on any of the drivers, three into one is always going to be tough into one corner. And he had a rocket ship start, probably his best start of the year. And he was going for it in front of his home crowd,” said Horner.

Upon being asked about the ongoing rumours of Perez leaving Red Bull at the end of this season, Horner said “Of course, it is tough for him, but he is our driver and we want him to achieve what we know he is capable of, and we’ll continue to support and protect him. He’s got 13 years of experience in Formula 1, and when you are going through a difficult moment it’s important to support him. He was having a great weekend up until that point.”
After taking second at the Mexican GP and an additional point for the fastest lap, Hamilton now sits 20 points behind Sergio Perez in the drivers’ standings on third, with three races left to go this season. Team Principal Christian Horner had also recently assured fans that Perez will continue to race for Red Bull in 2024 as per his contract, even if the driver doesn’t finish the season as the runner-up behind teammate Max Verstappen.