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Sergio Pérez has distanced himself from the homophobic comments made by his father Antonio about former racing driver Ralf Schumacher.
Perez Snr, who is also a politician, had made disparaging remarks to ESPN about multi-race winner Schumacher, who announced in July that he was in a same-sex relationship.
Schumacher, in his role as TV pundit, had criticized Perez’s performance for Red Bull, with the Mexican only eighth in a championship led by teammate Max Verstappen with more than twice as many points.
“I don’t agree with any of his comments,” Perez told Sky Sports on Wednesday when asked about his father’s outburst. “I think he made a mistake in that regard.
“I don’t share any of his views, but at the same time, I don’t control what my father has to say.
“I can only control what I say and I think it is important as a sport to always show that whatever happens on the track, it always stays on the right track. We should always be an example for the rest of the world.
Perez Snr made disparaging remarks about Schumacher as he tried to defend his son amid speculation he will lose his seat at Red Bull for next season. These suggestions came to a head at last month’s Mexican Grand Prix, when talk in the paddock suggested the 34-year-old could go as far as announcing his retirement from the sport at the end of the season – this which didn’t happen this weekend. passed without any announcement.
Schumacher had given his opinion on Perez’s apparent underperformance this season, prompting the Mexican’s father to respond: “There is a driver who was a Formula 1 driver, [turned] journalist.
“He first stated that Checo [Perez] was already out of Red Bull. The following week, he [Schumacher] came out of the closet.
“I don’t know if he was in love with Checo. Do you understand it? There are a lot of strange things.
“We no longer know if he is a journalist, a woman, a gentleman. But his opinion doesn’t matter, not because of Checo Perez, but because of what his [ex-]my wife said about it.
Schumacher ‘not angry’ with Perez Snr
Schumacher is the brother of seven-time world champion Michael and won six races with Williams in the early 2000s. He has a son, David, who races GT cars in Germany and responded to Perez senior himself on Instagram.
“I would also support my son 100 percent and try to help him,” he said. “That’s what you do as a father.
“Regarding the style, I would be different, but we know Mr. Perez with all his emotions. That’s why I’m not angry with him. However, I think the results on the track would be the best arguments.
While Verstappen can win his fourth consecutive championship in Las Vegas this weekend, Perez is chasing his first points since Austin in October.
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