F1 News: Sergio Perez Blasted For Las Vegas GP Error By Former Driver - "Not Even A Beginner Makes Such A Mistake"
In the final laps of the inaugural Las Vegas Grand Prix, Sergio Perez suffered an unexpected blunder which allowed Charles Leclerc to surge past him, attracting criticism from former F1 race winner Gerhard Berger. Perez's lacklustre season, marked by inconsistency and a significant point deficit, was further tarnished by this latest error.
Key Takeaways:
- Gerhard Berger's Critique: The former F1 race winner, Gerhard Berger, expressed disappointment in Perez's performance during the Las Vegas Grand Prix, particularly highlighting a critical mistake on the last lap that let Charles Leclerc overtake.
- Perez's Challenging Season: Sergio Perez had a tough season in 2023, struggling with inconsistent performances and making costly errors, which resulted in a staggering 290-point gap behind teammate Max Verstappen.
- Qualifying Struggles: Despite driving the dominant RB19 car, Perez's qualifying performances were subpar, securing a top-four start only once in the latter 17 races of the season.
Former Formula 1 race winner Gerhard Berger has harshly criticised Sergio Perez for a 'beginner' mistake during the final lap of the Las Vegas Grand Prix. This error allowed Ferrari's Charles Leclerc to overtake him. The Red Bull driver's season in 2023 was already under scrutiny due to various costly mistakes and inconsistent performances, leaving him significantly behind his teammate, Max Verstappen.
This latest criticism comes from Gerhard Berger, a respected figure in the sport with ten race wins between 1984 and 1997. Berger was particularly critical of Perez's handling of the situation with Leclerc in Las Vegas. He told Kronen Zeitung:
"Yes, if you lump Max and Pérez together, then on average Helmut [Marko] will be fine again.
"Just looking at Leclerc's overtaking manoeuvre against Perez on the last lap of the grand prix in Las Vegas, I have to say that not even a beginner makes such a mistake."
Despite the rocky season, Perez still took the second spot in the drivers' championship, securing the first 1-2 for Red Bull.