Sergio Perez once claimed one-time F1 race winner was ‘very dangerous’ and had no respect for his rivals

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Sergio Perez was the driver under the most pressure as the 2024 Formula 1 season came to a close and eventually Red Bull Racing came to a difficult decision.

Red Bull confirmed Perez’s exit two weeks after the season finale in Abu Dhabi, promoting young Racing Bulls star Liam Lawson in his place.

Perez made his first public appearance since losing his race seat in Mexico, declaring that he would take several months out of racing before deciding whether he wants to return.

Cadillac is said to be Perez’s preferred route back to F1, although the new American outfit haven’t made a concrete offer for any driver at this stage.

If Perez doesn’t return in 2026, his Formula 1 career has likely come to an end.

The 34-year-old should be remembered for his brilliant work for Sauber, Racing Point and Red Bull before the 2024 campaign, rather than his difficult exit from the paddock.

Perez had some very tough battles on track, but one race in 2012 left Mexican particularly angry with one of his rivals.

Why Sergio Perez said Pastor Maldonado was ‘very dangerous’ during his time in Formula 1

Pastor Maldonado has a reputation within F1 for being one of the clumsier drivers on track but managed to win one race in 2012 before leaving the sport in 2015.

Four races after his miraculous victory in Spain – which is still the last time a Williams driver won a race – Perez was battling with Maldonado at Silverstone.

Maldonado hit Perez after coming out of the pits, sending both cars spinning and ending the Mexican’s race, with the future Red Bull driver saying on the radio: “Maldonado again! I don’t believe why he drives like this!”

READ MORE: Sergio Perez’s life outside F1 from net worth to nickname

Perez, said after the race to the BBC, via RaceFans: “Pastor is a driver who doesn’t respect other drivers. It’s just a matter of fact.

“I was already in front, and if not he should have given me enough space not to crash, but he tried to push me all the way to the outside. I don’t understand the way he is driving.

“I really hope the stewards can make something because the last three or four races he has done something.

“It is not the first time he has damaged my weekend. He did the same in Valencia, and they gave him a drive-through, which I think is not enough.

“This guy will never learn if they don’t do something, because he is a very dangerous driver and he can hurt someone.”

Perez then accused, via SI, that Maldonado has ‘no respect for other drivers’, highlighting just how upset he was.

Pastor Maldonado responds to Sergio Perez criticism after British Grand Prix collision

Maldonado didn’t try to defend himself, eventually finishing the race in P16 despite starting in the top 10.

When asked about the collision, he said, via Crash: “It was a very disappointing moment, the race was going good for us.

Maldonado was asked to describe what happened with Perez and continued: “At that moment, I was coming out of the pit with cold tyres. I was on the inside of the corner, so the corner was mine.

“Sergio was on the other side, on the outside of the corner trying to beat me, to take the position from me. I tried to defend on the entry, I just lost the rear of the car. I think cold tyres, you know? Cold tyres.”

READ MORE: Where are they now? The top ten from Pastor Maldonado’s only F1 win at the 2012 Spanish GP

Maldonado finished five positions and 21 points behind Perez despite his 25-point haul from winning at the Circuit de Catalunya.

Three years at Williams were followed by two campaigns at Lotus but he left the sport after his best Drivers’ Championship finish where he finished 14th.

Otmar Szafnauer, in an interview with Inside Line F1 in 2024, insisted that Force India sign Perez over Maldonado.

“Maldonado at the time was a race winner and had a substantial amount of sponsorship from Venezuela and I remember going to Vijay [Mallya] and saying I think we need to hire Sergio Perez, not Maldonado,” Szafnauer said.

“I know it’s less money but for me, he’s got much greater potential,” Perez will be delighted that his F1 career wasn’t ended by a driver who he thought was so dangerous on track.