If there’s one race every Formula 1 driver wants to do well at, it’s their home race. Unfortunately, one driver who’s gotten all too familiar with home race blues is Charles Leclerc. In his five outings at the Monaco GP, he’s finished the race only twice. In those two occasions, he’s not stood on the podium, let alone gotten the win (even though he had the opportunity in 2022). So yes, Charles Leclerc and the Monaco GP aren’t the best combination. This season, he shared the home race blues with Sergio Perez at the Mexican GP.

With Charles Leclerc lining up in P1, Max Verstappen in P3, and Sergio Perez in P5, both Red Bulls got a mega start. While that mega start worked in Verstappen’s favor, it didn’t so much in Perez’s. Instead of the lead, Perez was staring—teary-eyed—at his Red Bull future slipping away. While he went through heartbreak, Ferrari boss Frederic Vasseur made light of the situation.

Vasseur joked at the expense of Sergio Perez at the Mexican GP

Here’s how the Turn 1 incident played out: Going into Turn 1, it was three abreast, with Leclerc in a Red Bull sandwich. Perez, on the outside, got a sniff at the race lead, took it, but ended up making contact with Leclerc. The Mexican’s RB19 went airborne and practically flew out of the race. Red Bull really does give you wings, I guess. On a weekend where Perez would’ve wanted nothing more than to do well for his home support, he couldn’t get past the first corner. And it was heartbreaking for him and his fans alike.

After the crash, Ferrari went from a front-row lockout to P3 and P4—Leclerc ahead of Carlos Sainz. Even though Leclerc sustained damage to his front wing (in that he lost his front-wing endplate), he managed to keep up the pace and keep his teammate at bay. Ultimately, Leclerc couldn’t convert another pole to a victory, but unlike in Monaco, he managed a podium. While Perez was still wallowing after the race, Frederic Vasseur (hilariously) focused on the positive for Ferrari.

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With everyone referring to the Turn 1 incident as Leclerc caught in a Red Bull sandwich, Vasseur gave his thoughts on it. “Sandwich is a good word. Watching those three on TV, we were lucky it was not a panini for us,” he joked. Had it been a panini (basically a grilled sandwich), who knows what state Leclerc’s car would’ve been in? He then gave his verdict on the collision, saying, “What can you do when you are three side by side like this? I think Charles, he had nowhere to go and Checo had to turn also. Max was close to the curb. I think there is no one to blame on this.”

“I Didn’t Expect Charles To…” – Sergio Perez Breaks Silence After Crashing Out at the Mexican GP

While Vasseur joked about Perez’s crash and got away with it, Leclerc had to bear the brunt of the Mexican crowd’s wrath.

Leclerc defended himself from the Mexican crowd

Remember how, at the US GP, when Verstappen stepped onto the podium, all he heard were boos from the crowd? Turns out (at least as per Helmut Marko), the boos came from Mexican fans who came to support Perez. Considering he hasn’t been doing too well compared to Verstappen this season, the Dutchman isn’t their favorite person. A similar incident happened after the Mexican GP.

When Leclerc and Perez collided on Lap 1, Mexican fans were understandably unhappy. Even though Perez’s retirement wasn’t Leclerc’s fault at all, the crowd didn’t really consider that. When he came to give his post-race interview, there were booing chants all around. Leclerc responded, “A lot of booing, a lot of booing. Guys I had nowhere to go! I was a bit in between the two Red Bulls, and unfortunately, I touched Checo. But I had nowhere to go.” 

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Who did you think was at fault for the Mexican GP crash? Sergio Perez or Charles Leclerc? Or was it a racing incident?