Antonio Pérez Garibay, the father of Guadalajara Formula One driver Sergio Pérez, may have suffered a “pre-infarction” (a warning sign of a potential heart attack) after seeing his son crash during last Sunday’s Azerbaijan Grand Prix.
According to a press statement, Pérez Garibay, 65, was found unconscious in the bathroom of his Mexico City home. He had been watching the race on television.
Sergio Pérez, who drives for the Red Bull F1 team, was battling for third place with Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz when both drivers came together and collided into a wall at high speed. Fortunately, neither driver was injured, though Pérez was highly critical of Sainz, who he blamed for the accident.
Pérez Garibay was stabilized before being rushed to a Mexico City hospital, the statement said.
A businessman and former federal legislator, Pérez Garibay made an unsuccessful bid for the Morena Party nomination for Jalisco governor. A flamboyant figure, he has been a key supporter of his son’s racing career and has been a frequent presence at Formula One circuits over the past decade.
Sergio Pérez is having a challenging season and sits eighth in the 2024 F1 standings, far behind his teammate, world champion Max Verstappen, who leads the title race with 313 points.
Pérez will be hoping for better luck this weekend in Singapore, and especially over the next two months on the American continent: October 20 in Austin, Texas; October 27 in Mexico City; November 3 in São Paulo, Brazil; and November 21 in Las Vegas, Nevada.