In the 2024 Mexican Grand Prix, 'Checo' Pérez expressed his displeasure with the penalty imposed after a collision with Liam Lawson on lap 18 of the race at the Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez. During an overtaking attempt, the cars of both drivers made contact, leading to Pérez's penalty. After the race, the Mexican driver criticized the decision and Lawson's driving.
In a statement to Fox Sports, 'Checo' Pérez commented: "It's a shame because we were progressing, we were in the points, we passed Lawson, unfortunately, we had the position, he went off the track, but he is not penalized." He added that it was detrimental for both, but expressed his desire to deliver a better race in the future.
For his part, Lawson also expressed his frustration with the situation and made obscene gestures towards Pérez during an overtaking maneuver at the Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez. The rivalry between both drivers dates back to the previous year when there was talk about 'Checo' Pérez's future at Red Bull Racing and Lawson was mentioned as a possible replacement.
In the 2024 Mexican Grand Prix, 'Checo' Pérez had a modest performance as he was eliminated in Q1 and started from 18th position. After the incident with Lawson, Pérez fell to last place and finished the race in 17th position. He is now expected to work in the simulator and drive an old car to improve his performance in future competitions.
