Sergio Pérez's Father Rushed to Hospital After Azerbaijan GP Crash

Alex Harrington | Sep 16, 2024

Jun 7, 2024; Montreal, Quebec, CAN; Red Bull Racing driver Sergio Perez (MEX) in the pit lane during the practice session at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve. Mandatory Credit: Eric Bolte-Imagn Images / Eric Bolte-Imagn Images

Following the 2024 Azerbaijan Grand Prix, Antonio Pérez Garibay, father of Mexican Formula 1 driver Sergio Pérez, was rushed to the hospital due to a pre-infarction on the morning of Sunday, September 15., according to reports.

Found unconscious in the bathroom of his Mexico City home, the former federal deputy's medical emergency is believed to have been triggered by the stress from his son's crash during the race. Emergency services from the Mexican Red Cross quickly transported him to receive urgent medical attention, and according to the latest updates, Antonio Pérez Garibay is currently in recovery, though it's unspecified if he remains hospitalized.

The chaotic events at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix on Lap 50 of the 51-lap race, saw Sergio Pérez collide with Carlos Sainz of Ferrari between Turn 2 and Turn 3. The Mexican had just overtaken Charles Leclerc for the P2 at the start of the lap, only for Leclerc to reclaim it immediately. Simultaneously, Sainz, aiming to capitalize on this, made a move but compromised his own racing line exiting Turn 2.

Both drivers drifted towards the racing line, resulting in a collision that damaged both cars and eliminated them from the race. Despite an investigation by the stewards, the incident was considered a racing accident with no direct fault attributed to either driver.

Carlos Sainz shared his perspective on the incident:

"I was attacking Charles into Turn 2 and then I exited Turn 2. Checo [Perez] was on my left. We normally do a slight drift towards the left into the long straight, which I did like every other lap, and suddenly for some reason I don’t understand,

"Checo and I collided, which is unfortunate and also very disappointing.

"We’ve spoken already. [But] we need to analyze. I’m not someone who wants to put blame on either an excuse or put blame on another driver. It’s racing, everything happens super-fast."

Sergio Pérez's reaction was raw in the immediate wake of the crash, expressing frustration over the team radio by calling Sainz “an idiot.” By the time he got to the press pen, he'd calmed down:

"I felt that exiting Turn 2, there was plenty of room between both cars, and within a meter or two, we ended up making contact.

"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 really hard.

"[The pace today is] a massive [positive]. 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."

Oscar Piastri of McLaren ultimately clinched victory, outpacing Charles Leclerc due to the Virtual Safety Car conditions induced by the crash. For George Russell of Mercedes, the incident opened up a rare opportunity, allowing him to secure a podium finish.

"We had a really bad start to the race but on the hard tyre, I think we were one of the quickest out there, got past Max and then an added bonus is finishing on the podium," Russell said. "I was surprised the Safety Car didn't come out sooner at the end, those cars could have been anywhere. I'm glad everyone is OK."

We send our best wishes to Antonio Pérez Garibay and his family.