Sergio Perez’s father Antonio Perez Garibay made homophobic remarks towards former Formula 1 driver Ralf Schumacher that needlessly called to the German’s sexuality.
Schumacher bravely revealed he is in a same-sex relationship this summer to widespread admiration.
The GP winner turned pundit is well known for giving no quarter when criticising drivers on the current grid (or team bosses if your surname happens to be Steiner).
Still, that’s no excuse for comments made by Perez’s father, who was defending his son’s shaky foothold on a Red Bull F1 drive.
Schumacher has said he doesn’t expect Perez to drive a “single metre” for Red Bull in 2025, incurring the ill-expressed wrath of Perez senior.
“There’s a driver who was a Formula 1 driver, [turned] journalist,” Perez Garibay said in a video interview with ESPN.
“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 many strange things.
“You 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-]wife said about him.”
Schumacher responds to Perez Garibay remarks
Perez Garibay’s words have no place in F1, that much is clear.
Schumacher took to social media to respond to Perez senior’s ignorant remarks.
Writing on Instagram, the German said; “I would also stand behind my son 100 per cent and try to help.
“That’s what you do as a father.
“As for the style, I would be different but we know Mr. Perez with all his emotions.
“That’s why I’m not angry with him.”
Schumacher ended his thoughts on the matter by taking a little jab at Perez’s Red Bull form.
“However, I believe that results on the track would be the better argument,” he wrote.
Perez was handed a mid-season reprieve by Red Bull during the summer break after a troubling batch of form.
Save for a lost podium thanks to clashing with Carlos Sainz in Azerbaijan, the Mexican’s slump has continued.
This has contributed to Red Bull slipping from first to third in the F1 Constructors’ standings.
Max Verstappen is almost single-handedly leading that effort with 393 points to Perez’s 151.
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