Sergio Perez has been accused of showing “zero sportsmanship” in the Formula 1 season finale in Abu Dhabi.
The Mexican held up Lewis Hamilton during part of Sunday’s grand prix, helping Red Bull teammate Max Verstappen to eventually claim the race win and his first F1 title.
Verstappen became champion in a controversial last-lap finish after a safety car departed the track, with the FIA essentially allowing the Dutch-Belgian a straight shootout with defending title holder Hamilton – who had led for the majority of the race after overtaking Verstappen with a fine start.
While Verstappen credited Perez for playing a vital role in the 24-year-old’s victory, former F1 driver Sebastien Bourdais was far from impressed by the Mexican’s tactics.
“I thought you loved racing, that was BS,” tweeted the ex-Toro Rosso driver, replying to F1 journalist Will Buxton.
“I can’t begin to understand how Perez can be happy with himself and how people applaud him for what he did.
“Purposely slowing down and using every dirty trick to impede Hamilton. Zero sportsmanship, from the whole team really.
“They completely sacrificed Perez’s race to put him in that position. Losing purposely seconds per lap to impede, look again… he wasn’t trying to stay ahead but only slowing Lewis as much time as possible.”
Mercedes saw two post-race protests against Verstappen’s win rejected by stewards, and on Thursday morning, the team formally withdrew their appeal against the driver’s title win.
