SAD NEWS: Sergio Perez’s dad ‘found unconscious in his house due to…’ and rushed to hospital. Read more
Sergio Perez’s dad ‘found unconscious in his house due to…’ and rushed to hospital. Read more
Sergio Perez’s father, Antonio Perez, was reportedly found unconscious at his home and rushed to a hospital after the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, according to Mexican news outlet El Heraldo. Antonio, who typically accompanies his son to race weekends, remained in Mexico for the Baku event. The 65-year-old was discovered unconscious in his bathroom and was quickly taken to a nearby hospital, where doctors treated him for what is believed to be a pre-infarction, a condition that can occur before a heart attack. It remains unclear whether Antonio is still in the hospital or if he has been discharged.
A pre-infarction is a serious medical condition that often precedes a myocardial infarction, commonly known as a heart attack. While Antonio is thought to be recovering after receiving medical attention, his current status has not been officially confirmed. The incident occurred shortly after his son, Sergio Perez, experienced a dramatic final lap in the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, which resulted in a collision with Ferrari driver Carlos Sainz.
During the race, Perez was competing for a podium finish and was engaged in a heated battle with Sainz. The two drivers were pushing hard to catch Charles Leclerc of Ferrari and McLaren’s Oscar Piastri, who were leading the race. As Perez and Sainz entered the final lap, they went side-by-side exiting Turn Two. However, the narrow racing line and high-speed nature of the corner resulted in both cars drifting toward each other, leading to contact.
The collision between Perez and Sainz sent both cars into the barriers, leaving them with significant damage. As a result, both drivers were forced to retire from the race, handing third place to George Russell of Mercedes. Leclerc and Piastri continued to battle at the front, with the Ferrari driver ultimately crossing the line first.
Following the incident, race stewards investigated the crash but determined it to be a racing incident, meaning neither Perez nor Sainz was deemed to be predominantly at fault. However, the dramatic turn of events cost both drivers crucial championship points, and tensions were high in the immediate aftermath of the crash.
Perez, visibly frustrated, expressed his anger over the team radio shortly after the collision, calling Sainz an “idiot” and swearing in frustration. His emotional outburst reflected the disappointment of losing out on what had been shaping up to be a strong race for him and his Red Bull team. However, Perez quickly composed himself and offered a more measured response during his post-race interview.
Reflecting on the incident, Perez explained that the crash unfolded rapidly as both he and Sainz were fighting for position. He suggested that Sainz had been following the slipstream of Leclerc ahead, which may have contributed to the tight racing conditions. “I felt that exiting Turn Two, there was plenty of room between both cars and within a metre or two we ended up making contact,” said Perez. “It’s very unfortunate. It all happened so quickly. I think Carlos was trying to follow the tow from Charles as he went to the inside, and that really made things hard.”
Despite the disappointment of the crash, Perez remained optimistic about Red Bull’s performance in the race. He emphasized that the team had demonstrated strong pace and had the potential to fight for the victory. Perez added that if Red Bull can maintain their current level of performance, they should be in a strong position to challenge for wins in upcoming races. “The pace today is a massive positive,” he noted. “I think we had the pace to fight for the victory today, so we just have to keep it up and hopefully in the coming races, coming weekends, we can be really strong.”
As of now, the racing community and fans alike are hopeful for Antonio Perez’s recovery while Sergio Perez and his Red Bull team shift their focus to the next race weekend, aiming to build on their performance and bounce back from the unfortunate ending in Azerbaijan.