‘Mexico’s Minister of Defense’ Sergio Perez Once Went Attack Mode to Own Felipe Massa With an Epic Reply

Sergio Perez has been in electric form for the last few races. He drove the “race of his life” in Singapore, followed by a superb 2nd place finish in Japan. He took an engine penalty in Austin, which only saw him finish P5. However, he now finds himself just 2 points adrift of Charles Leclerc in the driver’s championship.

Sergio Perez will be looking to carry his wonderful run of form in Mexico in front of his home fans. The former Force India driver has won 2 races this season [Monaco and Singapore]. Furthermore, he has also been pivotal in Red Bull’s bid to dethrone Mercedes as the constructor’s champions after 8 years.

With Mexico’s Minister of Defense possibly at the peak of his career, let’s look back at the moment when he switched his defense for offense and gave F1 fans a moment they will always remember fondly.

It was the post-qualifying driver’s conference at the 2017 US GP qualifying when Checo took a sly dig at Felipe Massa and gave the F1 world a classic driver’s briefing room moment. In the video, Massa was seen complaining about Perez stating, “I think Checo blocked Lance”. 

Checo had a savage reply to the former Ferrari driver’s accusations. He questioned the Brazilian, saying “Are you his father?”

Massa believed his then-Williams teammate, Lance Stroll, could not qualify for Q2 because Perez blocked him.

READ MORE: Mexican Star Sergio Perez Opens Up on How He Fought Through Adversity to Follow His Lifelong Dream

Checo didn’t receive any penalty for the incident and finished the 2017 US GP in P8. Felipe Massa followed him in P9 whereas his teammate Lance Stroll finished P11.

Max Verstappen insists Sergio Perez is good enough to win races on his own

The Red Bull duo of Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez have dominated the F1 grid this year. The duo has put on some fantastic displays of racing that have helped Red Bull and Max secure their respective titles. Ahead of Checo’s home race, Max Verstappen has made a strong and supportive claim about his Mexican teammate.

Talking to Sky Sports F1, Verstappen said, “It’s not about giving presents. As long as we finish first and second the team is happy. I mean, Checo is good enough to win races on his own.”

He further added, “It’s way more rewarding anyway to do it like that. So we’ll see this weekend where we are. Of course, having your own Grand Prix is just an amazing feeling anyway and I’m sure he will do well.”

Verstappen and Perez have finished on the podium together six times this season. However, Perez will be hoping to stand on the top spot on Sunday.

WATCH THIS STORY: How a Euphoric Sergio Perez Hilariously Leaked His Red Bull Contract Announcement at Monaco

Arguably, there’s no greater feeling than winning a race in front of your home crowd. Do you think Checo Perez will beat Max Verstappen and his other rivals to climb the top spot of the podium come Sunday?

With both the championships in their bag, will Red Bull finally prioritize Sergio Perez’s race as Helmut Marko once hinted? It only seems fair as the next fight on Red Bull’s hands is getting the P2 spot for the WDC with Checo.