Following a bizarre situation, Sergio Perez has received an apology from ESPN racing reporter Miguel Gonzalez, after the reporter took to Twitter to slam the Red Bull driver for not signing an autograph.
Seeing drivers approached in restaurants isn’t anything particularly new, with Charles Leclerc having been famously approached last season whilst dining with friends.
A similar situation happened to Perez, who was recently out at a restaurant with his family.
Gonzalez took to Twitter to hit out at the 33-year-old for having declined his son an autograph, by using some harsh words directed at the Mexican.
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“Thanks to @SChecoPerez for ignoring and turning your back on my son when they were leaving the restaurant,” wrote Gonzalez on Twitter.
“Incredulous, I approached you to ask if you could take a picture with him and you denied it saying that you came with your family. This time the tears you provoked were not from emotion.
“The child waited for them to finish and leave so as not to be impertinent, what a pity it bothers you when a child asks you for a photo, although you have every right to deny it @SChecoPerez. By the way, the garbage on the table is collected. Education is also taught and learned as a family.”
After seemingly recognising his mistake, Gonzalez took to Twitter again to apologise to Perez, who was “within his rights” to deny his son an autograph.
“Today I have to offer a sincere apology to @SChecoPerez…I insist that he is within his rights. My reaction was wrong. Sincere apology,” Gonzalez said.
Perez has enjoyed a solid start to the 2023 F1 season and currently finds himself second in the Drivers’ Championship, 15 points behind team-mate Max Verstappen.
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Perez started the season in Bahrain with a second-place finish, before winning in Saudi Arabia.
He did well to recover to fifth in Australia after starting from the pit-lane, after he made a costly mistake in Q1.
Perez will likely head to the next round in Azerbaijan with the belief that he can challenge Verstappen for victory, at a venue he claimed his first Red Bull win at in 2021.