Formula One star Sergio Perez finishes 4th at Monaco Grand Prix – racing after bodyguard was shot by car robbers at family home

F1 driver Sergio Perez has revealed that a bodyguard who was shot in an attempted car robbery at his family home is in a "good" condition, having taken a bullet while the Red Bull racer was qualifying for the Monaco Grand Prix.

Perez confirmed that the brave bodyguard was recovering while local police had managed to detain the criminals in the terrifying incident in his homeland of Mexico.

The incident, which is thought to have involved a bodyguard who protects Perez's brother, Antonio, came hours before Perez took part in a qualifying session that he described as a "disaster", starting ninth on the grid before finishing fourth in Sunday's race.

"Basically they tried to rob the car of my security and they hurt one of my security guys with one shot," Perez revealed.

Sergio #Perez has denied first reports a bungled robbery in Mexico was a kidnap attempt on his family in his home town. He said thieves had been arrested while trying to steal a car belonging to his security. One guard was shot but is recovering. #f1

— Byron Young (@byronf1) May 22, 2021

"He is in a good condition. The police got the robbers. My family is good, thank you."

The attack took place in Guadalajara, which is also the birthplace and hometown of pound-for-pound boxing great Saul 'Canelo' Alvarez and has become crime and cartel-ridden over the years.

Perez's qualifying campaign was halted prematurely when Charles Leclerc – who also failed to make it to his starting slot on the grid on time – crashed into a wall. 

"We changed our approach, we were making good progress through qualifying, and in Q2, we did a good step. But the track was cooling down, and we changed our approach into Q3, run one, which I had no front end at all. They were very cold, the tires.

"Then on the second attempt, the lap was going well until I hit a lot of traffic. And I basically lost a lot of lap time going through that."

The margins are so fine in an F1 car on the streets of Monaco.

Go onboard for a lap with Sergio Perez. #MonacoGP pic.twitter.com/5z7V4aiCcA

— Kawowo Sports (@kawowosports) May 20, 2021

Still lacking a podium finish this season, Perez threatened to finish in the top three as his teammate, Max Verstappen, finished first.

"Overall, this is a good day for the team. I am happy for Max and for the team – we are leading in both world championships," he told Ziggo Sport after the race.

"I really need to find something on those Saturdays," he said of qualifying and starting the race in such a poor position. The race pace is very good, so we need that Saturday and then it will come to us."

"I'm not learning the car as fast as Max. We need to improve that."

Spaniard Carlos Sainz, of Ferrari, came second, with Brit Lando Norris taking third for McLaren.

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