‘Blind and stupid’ Sergio Perez ‘not worth the money’ at Red Bull blasts ex-driver

Sam Cooper
Sergio Perez grimaces at Red Bull senior advisor Helmut Marko.

Sergio Perez grimaces at Helmut Marko.

Hans-Joachim Stuck has asked if Sergio Perez is “blind” and “stupid” in a scathing attack on the Red Bull driver.

Perez has come in for a fair amount of criticism this season having been blown away by Max Verstappen and now facing a battle to keep hold of P2 in the standings.

But it is the Sao Paulo race that has Stuck particularly aggrieved with the 72-year-old German suggesting Perez was “stupid” in his battle with Fernando Alonso.

Hans-Joachim Stuck criticises Sergio Perez Sao Paulo tactics

Perez fought with Alonso late on in the race which was one of the most exciting moments of this season but it was the latter who would eventually win out.

Having initially been overtaken, Alonso regained the podium spot through some smart tactics on the track.

The subject of trailing to get the advantage was put to Stuck by Eurosport and he was only too happy to go in on Perez.

“There’s a great current example that I don’t understand at all,” he said. “I could go crazy then. Sergio Perez was driving behind Fernando Alonso in Brazil – and didn’t understand that Alonso was driving a significantly faster line in the curve onto the long straight.

“I have to say: Is he stupid? Is he blind? With all his skills… he’s not worth the money. When Alonso shows that he is driving around the outside of the corner and is therefore so fast that Pérez doesn’t even have DRS enough to get past… and he still chooses a different line. I do not understand that.

“One can only hope that someone else will come to the Red Bull. I think it would be great if Alonso was put in the Red Bull. And the rumours are there. He denies it completely, but there may be a reason for that.”

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Stuck went on to state that he would like to see Alonso in the Red Bull as believes he is capable of driving at Verstappen’s level.

“We don’t have to talk about Max Verstappen. This is the man of the moment at the moment, no question about it. But if you look at Alonso whistling across the asphalt, I would like to see him in the Red Bull.

“The way Alonso drives, the way he fights, is largely flawless and also brings the team forward, I would say that he would be very, very close to Verstappen. I am convinced of that.

“Closer than Pérez in any case, that’s no question for me. There are a handful of people who I trust to drive at Verstappen’s level – and Alonso is one hundred percent of them. I just think the guy is great.

“We know each other really well. He has the motivation, he enjoys it. In addition, he has the maturity to use his skills perfectly at the right moment. That’s really impressive.”

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