Monaco menace for Perez: Mexican's back against the wall as another F1 title charge fades

Sergio Perez hopes that the Monaco Grand Prix fiasco will not impact his ambitions to challenge for the 2023 Formula 1 Drivers' championship.

We say 'fiasco' because Perez endured a torrid race that saw him start in last place and finish the race in 16th. Oh, and he made five pit stops during the race.

Making the Mexican's outing that much worse is that his championship hopes took a knock. Coming into Monaco, Perez was only 14 points behind Red Bull teammate Max Verstappen. But with Verstappen taking the 25 points for the win, he now holds a comfortable 39-point lead: 144 vs 105.

It is not comforting for Perez, especially since he took two victories earlier in the season and closed the gap to just a few points. But Monaco derailed his ambitions, leaving him with a big task at hand.

"It was an immensely challenging (race)," Checo said.

"Everything that could go wrong did, and I'm deeply disappointed with the qualifying performance. We paid the price for it (in the race). Navigating the conditions was tricky, and I simply made an error."

Can Perez recover?

While qualifying for the Monaco race, Perez made a costly error four minutes into the session. It left him vulnerable and last on the grid. And as is Monaco's nature, it is achingly difficult to overtake around the narrow streets.

Moreover, the impact this might have on his championship challenge will be felt deep into the season. In addition, if he does not turn his fortunes around, the points gap to Verstappen will only increase.

READ: 'What a super weekend' - Top 3 finishers react to daunting Monaco Grand Prix

F1 heads to Spain for this weekend's race around the Circuit de Catalunya in Barcelona - a venue where Verstappen took several victories over the years, including his