Red Bull driver Sergio Perez has responded to Haas driver Nikita Mazepin’s criticism of his racing actions in Baku.
Mazepin hasn’t had the brightest of starts to his F1 career, and has been called out for his breaking of the gentlemen’s agreement in Bahrain. Since then, he has been careful about the issue. However, he has now turned victim, and has blamed some top drivers for being the aggressors.
Mazepin recently claimed that top drivers like Lewis Hamilton and the aforementioned Perez were breaking the code during the qualifying session in Baku.
Perez responded to Mazepin’s comments about him, and acknowledged his opinion. He affirmed that several drivers were in fact overtaking when the rest of the grid was just warming up. He opened up about the issue and why it had happened.
“It was basically that we all went at the same time, and people created gaps, but then other people overtaking, not respecting the gentleman’s agreement,” he said.
“It just made things a bit harder. We didn’t put the lap when it really counted. It’s as simple as that. Some drivers can respect that. Not all.”
Everyone is on the same page
Perez was among the drivers who disappointed during the Azerbaijan Grand Prix qualification. However, in a stunning turnaround, he finished P1 during race day.
The Mexican acknowledged that a discussion with drivers in a bid to remain committed to the gentlemen’s agreement is necessary.
“Maybe it’s something we should discuss as drivers and be more sensible about it, especially when it comes to qualifying, that we should be more respectful and be more conscious that this can create difficulty for other people,” Perez said.
“It definitely is worth a discussion to see how everyone feels about it,” he concluded.
F1 heads to France next for the seventh race of the season. With the chaos that unfolded in Azerbaijan, expectations will be high for the French Grand Prix.
Read more: Ralf Schumacher wants strict punishment against Nikita Mazepin – “This is life-threatening”