Ralf Schumacher has strongly criticized Sergio Pérez’s action in the first corner of the Mexican Grand Prix. The former Formula 1 driver believes that the Red Bull Racing driver should have been much smarter and should have known that Charles Leclerc was no match. Timo Glock agrees with Schumacher’s opinion and thinks that it will be extra difficult for Pérez to keep Lewis Hamilton behind him in the championship.
After an excellent start, Pérez was able to dive into the slipstream of the cars in front of him. As a result, the Red Bull driver took a lot of momentum towards the first corner and that meant that he ended up on the outside of Leclerc. When Pérez turned in, his rear tire made contact with the Ferrari’s front wheel. ‘That really didn’t work. He just steers in and there is no room at all. Where on earth should Leclerc go? This is really his own fault,” is the fierce assessment of Schumacher at the German branch of Sky Sports.
The former driver thinks the contact could have easily been avoided. ‘If he sends in a little wider, he will certainly be third, maybe even second. All he has to do is stay on the outside. He drives way too close to the others, as if they weren’t even there.’ Glock agrees with his colleague’s opinion in his column. ‘He knew he was going into the first corner with three people. Then he must not give in too early. He misjudged it.”
Glock sees advantage for Hamilton
Pérez’s problems keep piling up. Last week, the Red Bull driver had some luck in the battle for second place in the championship, as Hamilton was disqualified from the United States Grand Prix. Things also went wrong for the Briton in Qatar, as he made a mistake in the first corner and had to abandon his race. However, Pérez’s form is not great, as he only scored 21 points in the past five races. Max Verstappen scored 119 points in the same period.
Pérez’s lead over Hamilton has shrunk considerably in recent weeks. After the Grand Prix of Mexico, the gap is now only twenty points. ‘A good result in Mexico would have given Pérez confidence. Now things are going in exactly the wrong direction. Hamilton has currently found a good way to handle the car. His race pace is great. That is why it will now be much more difficult for Pérez in the last races,” Glock concluded.
