“We knew this was the price we were going to pay,” says Perez after a qualifying crash resulted in P16 in Monaco.

Sergio Perez saw his 2023 title hopes shake significantly over the Monaco Grand Prix weekend, the Mexican finishing 16th on Sunday, having started last after his qualifying crash.

In the first segment of Saturday’s exciting qualifying session in Monte Carlo, Pérez seemed to misjudge the entrance to Turn 1 – colloquially known as Santa Devota – hitting the barriers hard and causing damage to his Red Bull RB19.

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Starting the race in P20 on the tight Monegasque streets, Pérez struggled to progress, eventually finishing two laps behind winner and teammate Max Verstappen, after hitting the barriers at Piscine corner at one point, as well as picking up George’s Mercedes. Russell when the rain began to fall.

“It was a really tough day,” Perez said after his eventful race. “Everything that could have gone wrong did and I am very sad with the performance, but not basically from today, but from yesterday, with my mistake. We knew that was the price we were going to pay.”

Perez entered the Monaco weekend just 14 points behind teammate Verstappen in the drivers’ standings, but leaves the Principality. 39 points down over the Dutchman, and just 12 ahead of second-placed Fernando Alonso, with Monaco 2022 winner Pérez admitting: “It’s very frustrating.

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“I knew that my mistake yesterday was very costly and it was 25 points, so I am very disappointed. I still have some hope but I know I can’t afford another [issue] in the championship, so I really hope I can get back to my normal level in Barcelona.”

Team principal Christian Horner echoed Perez’s sentiments about getting back on the horse in Barcelona in a weektelling the media: “It was a tough weekend for Checo [Perez]one to forget, but the good thing is that he can quickly bounce back in Barcelona next weekend.

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“There are so many races to go, we are about to go, six races, 14 to go. There is a long way to go and many races to do. We’re just taking it one race at a time, trying to get the most out of each weekend.”