How a driver performs on the racetrack is one thing and how he treats people off it is another. Sergio Perez has pulled off a Kimi Raikkonen. And no, he’s not done it while driving his car. He’s proved his compassion and kind-heartedness even in the toughest of times. Even before FP1 in Hungary had barely started, Sergio Perez crashed at Turn 5 bringing out the red flags. More than him, there was a young fan in the crowd who was heartbroken. And Perez’s actions for that fan are the most heartwarming thing on the internet right now.
Kimi Raikkonen is a very unique personality in the world of F1. As much as he loves to not talk with the press, he loves it when it comes to fan interactions, where he is very gentle and obliging. In 2017, at the Spanish GP, Raikkonen retired in Lap 1 with damage to the front left of his car. One of his fans, a young kid in the audience dressed in the Ferrari outfit, was completely shattered and was reduced to tears. But Raikkonen and Ferrari won hearts when they brought that kid into their motorhome and gifted him a signed souvenir along with some time with the World Champion.
And today in Hungary, Perez suffered a similar fate with him clipping the grass at Turn 5 and doing a donut before smashing the front left into the wall. And here, another fan – a young kid in AlphaTauri overalls started crying after Perez’s shunt. His guardian (possibly his father) was comforting him as the tears rolled on. But his day too was about to brighten like the young Ferrari fan’s day in 2017.
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The little boy who cried after Checo shunted in FP1 was found and received a VIP Pass from Red Bull, he will be in the paddock with the team ❤️🥹#HungarianGP pic.twitter.com/SJoXRAiK3I
— RBR Daily (@RBR_Daily) July 21, 2023
Red Bull did an effort of finding that young fan and gave him a VIP pass for the weekend. Now, this is something that we love to see happen. This is where the line between the performers and the audience fades out, leaving a beautiful trail of humaneness for others to follow. That young kid is definitely going to have a weekend to remember for the ages.
The humanitarian side of sports and athletes is always a delight to witness. Nonetheless, there is the not-so-good side as well. And for Perez, that side is prevailing over the best of his actions.
Martin Brundle Perplexed By Sergio Perez’s “Rookie Error” At the Hungarian GP
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As much as the 2023 season is proving to be a fairytale for Max Verstappen, Sergio Perez has balanced it with his horror story. It has been 5 races that the Mexican racer has been unable to drive his RB19 to Q3. He compensates for it with his race pace. But his costly shunt in FP1 at the Hungaroring hasn’t gone down well with Martin Brundle.
Brundle said, as quoted by Mirror, “I can’t get my head around that. It is a rookie error. I can only assume it’s the pressure. He didn’t just clip the edge of the grass or the white line, he was on the grass by a meter or so. I can’t get my head around it at all.”
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For the Mexican racer, it has been a bitter start to the Hungarian GP. But out of his bitterness has come an outcome that has made the day of not just one young fan but all those that join them in celebrating the greatness and the unifying spirit of sports.
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