Sergio Perez alleges nationality bias as he points to George Russell's shunt at Singapore GP

Sergio Perez recently stated that while the media did not make a huge deal about George Russell's crash in Singapore, they would pounce on Red Bull and him if they made a slight mistake. The Mexican driver pointed out how this was somewhat related to nationality bias in the media.

Perez explained how Russell crashed from third place on the last lap, yet there was not much noise about it. However, if the same happened in Red Bull, hundreds of media platforms would instantly make stories and speculate about drivers underperforming and their seats being in danger.

“We saw it with Russell. He crashed from third place on the last lap, but you don’t hear anyone talking about it. If something like that happens at Red Bull, you immediately have three hundred media channels on your roof telling you that you have to leave,” he told Spanish publication Marca.

Perez understands that Red Bull has a particular kind of team environment that attracts such speculations. The Mexican went on to add that he feels such rumors and media pressure are even more intense because of his nationality.

“This kind of thing happens often in Formula 1 and that’s how it works in a team environment. Also, I have the feeling that the fact that I am Mexican also has a big influence,” he added.

There is no surprise that Sergio Perez has been put under a microscope several times this season. He has been criticized for not being as consistent as his teammate Max Verstappen, while the Mexican has also seen stories revolving around him getting fired from the team.

Despite them being rumors and mere speculations, they can create unwanted pressure and distraction to F1 drivers.

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Red Bull team boss admits several drivers are after Sergio Perez's seat

Red Bull team boss Christian Horner recently talked about Sergio Perez's contract and how his seat could be up for grabs after 2024, especially if he underperforms.

Horner mentioned how drivers such as Daniel Ricciardo and even Yuki Tsunoda would be eyeing Perez's seat next season.

"Checo is in the hot seat at the moment and will obviously be keen to extend. We’ll see how Daniel does; we’ll see how Yuki does and in the background we’ll see what Liam’s capable of in the test-and-reserve role," he told Sky Sports.

As of now, Sergio Perez's seat is safe for another year, but nothing is certain after that.