How his home race crash perfectly encapsulates why Perez lost the 2023 F1 title battle

OPINION: Sergio Perez’s do-or-die passing attempt on Charles Leclerc and Max Verstappen at the start of the 2023 Mexican Grand Prix was thrilling and engaging. But, given it backfired so badly, it provides a handy reference for explaining just how a once promising campaign went so far off course. Here’s how

“I had a very good start and I was only thinking of winning the race. I didn't want to be on the podium. I've been on the podium two years in a row. I saw the opportunity and I went for it. In hindsight, I took a risk. But if I had pulled it off, I would have come out of Turn 1 in the lead.”

Sergio Perez’s attitude after his Turn 1 crash with Charles Leclerc in Formula 1’s 2023 Mexican Grand Prix was excellent. His thinking was clear and engaging, his move not to blame Leclerc on a weekend where there was significant tension around driver rivalry and ensuing fan response was classy.

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Author Alex Kalinauckas

Alex Kalinauckas is Autosport's Grand Prix Editor, covering every Formula 1 race since the start of 2020. After completing a master's degree in journalism at Goldsmiths College University of London in 2014, he worked for a range of motorsport and technology publications while covering national racing as an Autosport freelancer.

A lifelong motorsport fan - no one in his family can explain quite how or why such a development first occurred - Alex joined the Autosport staff in April 2017 as the magazine’s Assistant Editor covering Formula 2 and GP3, before being made Formula E correspondent and Autosport.com’s Plus Editor in March 2018. He lives in north-east London and is constantly frustrated by the Central Line.