Perez red flags Hungary practice as latest F1 disaster takes just HALF-A-LAP

Harry Smith
Friday 21 July 2023 13:48 - Updated: 20:26

Sergio Perez got off to a disastrous start at the Hungaroring on Friday, suffering a major shunt inside the opening five minutes of FP1.

The Mexican driver was already under pressure heading into the weekend following a string of successive failures to reach Q3.

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His plight took another turn for the worse on his first FP1 lap in Hungary, dipping a wheel onto the grass before spinning out into the barriers.

The crash brought out the red flag and heaps even more pressure onto Checo's shoulders as he looks to fight for his F1 future.

FP1 disaster for Checo

With Daniel Ricciardo stepping back into an F1 cockpit for the first time this season, Perez needs a strong, error-free weekend in Hungary to calm worries about his future.

The popular Aussie impressed Red Bull team principal Christian Horner during the Pirelli tyre test and is gunning for a return to the Red Bull setup.

These next 12 races will be an audition for Ricciardo as he looks to prove he can do a better job than the Mexican.

This crash will harm Perez's confidence even further as he desperately tries to shorten the massive gulf in performance between himself and team-mate Max Verstappen.

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