9:31 – Sergio Perez has dispelled claims that he met a sponsor and fans on his trip to Mexico after the Hungarian Grand Prix. He calls those reports ‘bullshit’.
Perez became the first Formula 1 driver to test positive for COVID-19 prior to the British Grand Prix. He therefore missed both meetings at Silverstone. As it turned out, Perez had returned to Mexico to visit his mother in the hospital between the GPs of Hungary and Great Britain. Before that, the Mexican traveled with a private plane. On Thursday it appeared that Perez has now tested negative for the corona virus and so he will return to the Racing Point RP20 this weekend.
Reports also emerged after his positive test that he met sponsors and interacted with fans during his trip to Mexico. Upon his return to the paddock in Barcelona on Thursday, Perez was quick to debunk the rumors. “It’s a complete lie,” Perez said in an interview with F1. “I went to Mexico for two days to see my mother, with all kinds of precautions. I took care of everything and I followed all the guidelines. When I was in quarantine, I saw everything. I saw people who said that I was with a lot of people. took selfies and made up the story about my mom. So much bullshit, it’s so disrespectful. “
Perez emphasizes that any person in the paddock could have contracted COVID-19. “I have done nothing but the rest in the paddock. I took all precautions and it happened to me,” said the Racing Point driver. “It happened to a friend on another team when I was in quarantine. He said, ‘Look, I also tested positive.’ It can happen to anyone. But what has happened is that people are just making up stories instead of worrying about their health. “
The positive COVID-19 test caused Perez to miss two Grands Prix because he was in quarantine. He spent it in an apartment in Milton Keynes. Asked by GPUpdate.net whether he planned to change his travel plans or procedures after his positive test, Perez said he already took all the required precautions into account and will continue to do so. “Before that, we were already very conservative and we took so many precautions that nothing changes.”
“The procedures are very similar regardless of whether you are positive or negative. The precautions we are taking were already there,” he continues. “Every place I visited and everything I did after Hungary, everything was done with a lot of precautions. I was very aware of what is going on and I think I was unlucky. I have done nothing but the rest of the paddock. I’m not going to take the blame for that, because anyone can get it and I was simply the unfortunate one. “
In collaboration with Luke Smith
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