How Sergio Perez's crash can be linked to his father's pre-heart attack
Sergio Pérez's father, Antonio Pérez Garibay, has been hospitalized in Mexico City after suffering a pre-heart attack during the Azerbaijan Grand Prix.
Garibay was found unconscious in his home and was rushed to the hospital. He suffered a pre-infarction, a condition associated with chest pain, before suffering a heart attack.
The event that reportedly caused the pre-infarction was Perez's crash with Carlos Sainz during the final lap of the Grand Prix in Baku. Both drivers hit the wall but walked away unscathed.
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According to The Drive, the shock of the crash and the overwhelming fear of his son's life being in jeopardy led to the reaction. The Perez family has always been deeply involved in Sergio's career, with Garibay attending multiple races yearly.
According to the Mexican publication Medio Tiempo, Pérez Garibay has released a statement in the hospital, confirming the crash may have caused the medical emergency.
Garibay said: "Everything happened after the accident. The shock of the accident may have caused it. They are already checking my heart to see why I fainted."
According to the Daily Mail, Pérez Garibay's press office confirmed: "Mr. Pérez Garibay is stable but remains in intensive care under constant medical review, focusing mainly on his heart and other vital organs."
Garibay is heavily involved in Mexican politics and holds a seat as a National Deputy, the equivalent of a congressman in the United States. Following a long campaign to endorse Mexico's first woman president, Garibay must pause his political endeavours to focus on his health.
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As for Perez, the Red Bull driver has to quickly turn his attention to the Singapore Grand Prix on the 22nd of September.
The Formula One website reports that Perez hasn't been on the podium since the Chinese Grand Prix in April and has slipped to eighth in the Drivers' Championship on 143 points.
McLaren has overtaken Red Bull in the Constructors' Championship after Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri finished fourth and first in Baku. Perez must be on point to overturn the 20-point gap between them and McLaren.
Will Perez be able to compete at his full potential, knowing the consequences of what a crash may cause in the upcoming Grand Prix?
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