The championship is well and truly slipping away from Sergio Perez. And it wasn’t the slippery conditions in Montreal today that actually did that to him. Once again, the Mexican had an appalling Qualifying while his Red Bull teammate, Max Verstappen stormed to his 25th Pole Position. From the looks of it, Perez’s Q2 exit was his own doing. However, keen-eyed fans have unearthed an alternate theory.
Perez got knocked out in Q2, while drivers lower down in the F1 rung put in sensational laps. For instance, Alex Albon topped the session in a Williams! Then why was Perez so mightily off the pace? Well, as it turns out, it was a decision on the pit wall that led to a disastrous Qualifying for the 33-year-old and not his outright lack of speed.
Checo: Why did you box me on the slicks? It was just coming in […]Bird: Yeah. We just… pic.twitter.com/5rMfCojWhP
— valeria.✧・゚ (@checolover111) June 17, 2023
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While drivers like Albon put in stonking laps on a drying track in Q2, Red Bull decided to call Perez in a lap or two too early for Intermediate tires. This decision even prompted Checo to question his team’s strategy, but all Hugh Bird, his race engineer could muster was, “Yeah. We just…”
Fans react as Sergio Perez gets sabotaged by Red Bull while Max Verstappen shines on pole
Not being able to match Max Verstappen toe-to-toe is something that Perez has been crucified for. But what happens when the man isn’t even given a chance? After this new information regarding Perez’s Q2 exit came to light, fans rushed to Twitter to hold the Bulls accountable.
One fan even commented, “This is just f**king pathetic man. F**K YOU REDBULL”
Let’s take a look at just a few of the fan reactions from this bizarre Red Bull gaffe.
What will @redbullracing and Horner about this? @SkySportsF1 do you dare to ask? https://t.co/nNl34TYTO4
— Mosby8 (@Mosby87) June 17, 2023
RebBull's pitwall actively loses half of their collective neurons when they are planning for Checo I just know. https://t.co/s7Df95aFMZ
— XimenaSu (@suarezximb) June 17, 2023
im going to commit a crime https://t.co/m9kshSu2pX
— re ⋆⁺₊⋆ ☁︎ (@copycatseb) June 17, 2023
Just annoying that when it's not Checo screwing himself over it's Red Bullhttps://t.co/kNZLlhOCBp
— 🐝 (@Scottingtonn) June 17, 2023
All the ire of Checo’s fans was directed toward just one entity. As captured by the fans, it wasn’t the Mexican who messed up, it was them. And what appalled them, even more, was that Verstappen came out unscathed from this. Hence, the apparent disbalance in the team.
This is just fucking pathetic man. FUCK YOU REDBULL https://t.co/7yWaJmXxK1
— Jonathan (@jmunguia16) June 17, 2023
And Leclerc was begging for softs early on. RBR and Ferrari each let down one of their drivers today.
Rare misstep from the RBR pit wall. Typical, unfortunately, from Ferrari.
— Ludicrous Speed (@MikeDMarler) June 17, 2023
did their brains shut down or. bizarre. https://t.co/KMgakgosmN
— eliza lando akgae (@bratlando) June 17, 2023
Even Perez’s race engineer, Hugh Bird got caught in the crossfire!
Bird has blood on his hands, once again. https://t.co/s9uI8D3gVE
— Lau 💫 (@neekerem) June 17, 2023
They don't even know how to explain it… It's over https://t.co/2xRXn1rlQs
— Chxrry Bloomy 🇲🇽🍒🌸 (@ChXXXery) June 17, 2023
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Watch this Story: Most Dangerous Crashes in F1 History
https://t.co/jcjMPLTb5m pic.twitter.com/OzvXqEBABy
— Effy 💫 (@bev_hm) June 17, 2023
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Rather than being doomed from Perez’s end, is it mandated at the Milton-Keynes-based outfit that only Max Verstappen shall be worthy enough to win the championship in 2023?