Perez pokes at F1 rules with cheeky Mario Kart quip during China GP

The 36-year-old, who lost ground to the field after spinning following contact with his Cadillac teammate, Valtteri Bottas, was briefly locked in a conversation with his race engineer, Carlo Pasetti.

Pasetti, who encouraged the Mexican as he clawed back time on Bottas, had his praise met with humour, as Perez couldn’t resist taking a jab at the regulations mid-race.

"You're doing a good job in the high speeds, Sergio. You're getting back," Pasetti said.

The former Red Bull Racing driver, aiming a cheeky dig at the regulations while making up ground, responded:

The “mushroom” joke has become a running gag among drivers under the new rules. Charles Leclerc previously compared the regulations to Mario Kart during the Australian Grand Prix, while Max Verstappen recently joked about swapping his race simulator for a go on Mario Kart.

Earlier, Perez also hit out at the new regulations, detailing how overtaking appears largely artificial. The six-time Grand Prix winner, who claimed the sport is a far departure from what he is accustomed to, further described it as “fake.”

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