Checo Perez retracts statements he made against Max Verstappen at Brazilian GP
Checo Perez has retracted the statements he made against Max Verstappen after the two-time world champion refused to give way to him at the Brazilian GP.
“Thanks to me, he has two championships”, “He really showed who he is,” were the words of a furious Sergio Pérez after the Brazilian Grand Prix where Max Verstappen did not give him sixth position in the race at a time when he is fighting for world runner-up. Now that things have cooled down, Pérez has retracted his statements because he said his priority is that harmony within Red Bull continue.
In the framework of the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, the last Formula 1 race of the year, Pérez spoke with RacingNews 365, a media outlet from the Netherlands, where in addition to retracting his statements, he assured that both he and Max are ready to look to the future while maintaining the good relationship they already have.
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Drivers are heard live
“Formula 1 is a sport with a lot of emotion. There is no other sport in which you can be heard live. So there are a lot of emotions and you say a lot of things. Of course I take back a lot of things I said. After that race the relationship with Max is the same as we had before. We are ready to look forward,” he said.
The 32-year-old said that everything is in the past since he wants the good atmosphere within the team to continue in the future. The Mexican driver has a contract with the Austrian team until 2024.
“Of course it was a bad moment, but I think I can put it all behind me. My priority is to have a good working environment and to be able to trust my teammate and the team,” he said.
Checo and Leclerc are tied
Pérez and Charles Leclerc are fighting for second place in the drivers’ championship, after Verstappen clinched the world title. Both drivers have 290 points, however, the Ferrari driver occupies second place because he has won three races this season, while the man from Guadalajara has two.
Checo only needs to finish ahead of Leclerc in the Abu Dhabi race that will be held on Sunday, Nov. 20, for Red Bull to have a 1-2 drivers’ championship finish.