F1 News
Hamilton apologises to Perez: "Big ups Checo"
- GPblog.com
Although Lewis Hamilton had to acknowledge Max Verstappen and his Red Bull as his superior in Mexico, the Briton did manage to keep Sergio Perez behind him. His statements about Perez after the race were not what he intended. Hamilton apologises.
Hamilton did not mean it
Defeated Hamilton came in front of the camera after the race in Mexico. He could not keep up with Verstappen, but he could leave Perez behind. To make his point that Red Bull was the faster, he said, "You know the Red Bull is fast, when you have Checo on your tail."
That statement shot many fans the wrong way, causing the seven-time world champion to feel the need to apologise. On his Instagram, Hamilton wrote:
"I just want to make sure that people don't misunderstand my words yesterday. I have a lot of respect for Perez and I think he is doing a good job at his new team."
What did Hamilton mean?
Hamilton says he is impressed with what Perez is doing at his current team, and is aware of the time it takes for a driver to become fully accustomed. He further explains his statements:
"My statement was purely about the fact that following another car in Mexico is particularly difficult because of the low drag. That is why there is very little overtaking there. He was able to keep up, which showed how much more downforce they were carrying. Big ups to Checo for keeping it clean!"