Mexican media count Perez out after crash: 'Gap to Max will increase'

Qualifying for the 2023 Monaco Grand Prix was thrilling from start to finish, and the drivers had their work cut out for them as they circumnavigated the narrow streets of Monte Carlo as quickly as possible. Sergio Perez became a victim of the circuit as he crashed in Q1, meaning he now faces an uphill battle for the race. With overtaking very difficult, it seems likely he will lose a lot of points to teammate Max Verstappen. This is how the Mexican media reacted.

As Mexico offers a critical summary of the Mexican's performance in Q1. "Checo Pérez crashes in Monaco qualifying and compromises his race. No sooner had qualifying started when Perez went into the wall on the streets of the Principality." The Mexican media outlet predicts how difficult tomorrow's race will be for Red Bull Racing's Mexican ace. "It won't be Sergio Pérez's weekend at the Monaco Grand Prix. A tough outlook awaits 'Checo' in Sunday's race after the crash he suffered in qualifying on Saturday on the streets of the Principality. Perez seriously compromises his Sunday where he was hoping to defend his crown."

The headline in Nación Deportes reads, "'Checo' Pérez dropped out of Monaco GP Qualifying after the crash." It also delves into the consequences of the Mexican driver's mistake on his hopes of winning the Monaco GP and mounting a serious title challenge against his teammate, Max Verstappen. "An afternoon to forget. Sergio 'Checo' Perez retired from qualifying for the Monaco GP after an accident. He will start from the back of the grid. The 33-year-old Mexican will not be able to repeat last year's feat and, unfortunately, the gap to driver standings leader Max Verstappen will increase."

"Down the drain"

ESPN's Mexican edition opens with the consequences for Perez's chances in the race tomorrow around the historic circuit. "'Checo' was left out of qualifying at the Monaco GP. The Mexican driver made a mistake at the first corner, and this will cost him dearly in the race."

The sports news network and broadcaster of sporting events elaborate more, saying, "Mexican Checo Perez will start in the last positions for the Monaco Grand Prix after crashing during the first minutes of qualifying and with this being practically eliminated from any chance of fighting for the podium." While highlighting Perez's improved form over the weekend, he also blames him for the accident. "Checo', winner of the race in 2022, went from strength to strength over the weekend, but it all went down the drain when he let his team know he had crashed."

If Verstappen wins the race, Perez will likely pay a heavy price in the championship standings after this costly mistake and the big points advantage he did not want to let the Dutchman build, as he said in statements to the press earlier in the week, will most likely start to develop. The Red Bull car showed strong race pace on Friday and throughout the rest of the season. The Red Bull car has been adapted to suit the streets of Monaco, but overtaking is another question.