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Sergio Perez has issued a statement about his harsh comments towards the race stewards at the 2023 F1 Abu Dhabi GP. During the race, the Red Bull driver was handed a five-second penalty for causing a collision with Lando Norris. The penalty essentially cost Perez a podium finish at the last race of the 2023 F1 season.
After the race, Perez came on the radio and stated that the race stewards penalizing him was a joke.
"I mean the stewards are a joke, man. I cannot believe. This is a joke. I cannot believe that they gave a penalty for that," he was heard saying.
The FIA seniors did not take the comments well and handed Perez a formal warning for what he said. The Mexican driver then responded through social media and admitted how he should have shown more respect towards the race stewards and only made those comments in the heat of the moment when the adrenaline was running high.
The Red Bull driver wrote on his Instagram story:
"This sport brings out the best in all of us and also the passion. Tonight I spoke with that passion & adrenaline after losing a podium. It's hard always having a radio live; not most sports have that. But I owed the stewards more respect; we all have a job to do, and I respect the job they have to do in high-pressure situations. Onto 2024."
Perez started the Abu Dhabi GP in ninth place and finished fourth, behind George Russell, Charles Leclerc, and his teammate Max Verstappen.
Sergio Perez on the current state of his relationship with Max Verstappen
Sergio Perez was recently asked by Sportskeeda about his relationship with Max Verstappen. Both Red Bull drivers have been together for three years now and have pushed the team forward to great heights.
“Yeah, I think it's been a good year. I think our relationship, it's really good. I think the whole engineering, you know, when we are in all those briefings through so many races, I think it's been, it's been good. And we’ve been pushing at times in different directions. But at the same time, we've been strongly asking for same, same stuff. So that also has been positive for the team,” Perez replied.
Verstappen and Perez brought the best finish for Red Bull as they secured first and second positions in the drivers' championship, while the team led the constructors' championship.
