Sergio Perez did not have a great season to remember in 2023 at all. As the season is over and most of all accolades and glories went to his teammate, it is a good time for the Mexican driver to do some introspection. What went wrong for Checo in 2023? He had a great start as he challenged his teammate to steal his thunder this year. But Max Verstappen was just too strong and fast for him to catch up to.
However, the Dutchman was way faster than all the other drivers as well. But there have been many instances when drivers like Lewis Hamilton commented that if he drove the same car, he would be much closer to Max. Moreover, after the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, FIA summoned Checo over hurtful comments.
What Did Sergio Perez Do To Upset FIA And The Stewards?
The governing body initially had plans to punish Checo. However, a sincere apology from Sergio Perez cooled the situation, and FIA only gave him a warning. During the final Grand Prix of 2023, Checo caused a collision with McLaren’s Lando Norris. As a result, Sergio Perez got a 5-second penalty. Due to the penalty, Checo lost the opportunity to finish at P3. Later, his reaction over the Team radio landed him in trouble with the stewards. Checo went on to call the stewards a “Joke.” Naturally, that comment did not sit well with the stewards. They had to come to a conclusion about the form of punishment they were willing to hand Checo.
But Sergio Perez apologized sufficiently. As a result, he escaped with a formal warning. According to the verdict, the stewards have no issues with drivers disagreeing with them. But any comments in the form of “Personal insults” will be a breach of the International Sporting Code. Anyway, the stewards faced a sort of conflict of the rules as it was the final event of the season. Otherwise, the radio statements would have been referred to the next steward’s panel. Hence, they had to deal with the matter in Abu Dhabi itself.
Checo Had Been Through A Lot Of Ups And Downs This Year
Albeit, Sergio Perez finished second in 2023, questions are rising about his stay at Red Bull. Throughout the year, Checo had to deal patiently with the rumors of Daniel Ricciardo and others as his replacement. But Red Bull advisor and team boss confirmed that Sergio Perez will stay at Red Bull until the end of the next season as per his contract. Moreover, the Mexican driver has had to deal with low confidence this year since the Miami Grand Prix.
Later, he hired a mental coach who helped him regain confidence. Since then, Checo had a few more podium finishes. However, he could not win against Max Verstappen this year for the third time. Sergio Perez had to be okay with winning only two races this year. But deep down, he knows he could have done so much better. However, Checo, after confirming his P2 finish in 2023, said he is eager to challenge Max for the title next year. Later, fans trolled him on social media.