Sergio Pérez made a very good comeback on Saturday during the sprint race, going from 13th position to fifth place, and came into Sunday’s race with clear podium aspirations.
However, any hope of a good result for the Mexican was dashed when he collided with George Russell while attempting to overtake the Mercedes driver on the outside at Turn 4 on the first of a scheduled 71-lap race at the Red Bull Ring.
After the impact between both cars, Checo went to the gravel and, although he managed to return to the asphalt, he had to leave on lap 24 due to problems in his car when he was in last position due to the damage suffered.
“He was clearly ahead, it was up to George to really keep his car under control, which he clearly couldn’t do and we ended up touching,” Perez said of the incident.
“There was nothing more I could have done, I gave him enough space, I was already very close to the gravel to make sure he had enough space and both of us could make the corner [without problems],” he added.
The Mexican also explained that this touch was not expected from a driver like Russell , given the level he considers the Briton to have.
“Considering George’s level, I’m very surprised by that move. It’s quite disappointing for me and it’s a very disappointing result for our team, because clearly there were a lot of opportunities today,” he said.
The abandonment meant the second retirement of Checo Pérez in the last three races, which caused him to lose second place in the championship in favor of Charles Leclerc and left him 57 points behind Max Verstappen, the championship leader at this point in the race. season.
“It’s a great shame, these retirements are very painful, especially when you’re in the fight for the championship. But that’s racing,” said the Austrian team driver.
Referring to Red Bull ‘s overall performance after a race in which Verstappen suffered from tire wear and was unable to be a real contender for victory, Pérez said the team will need to study what happened at the Austrian GP very carefully. .
“It was not an optimal weekend, so there is a lot to analyze on our side to try to come back stronger,” concluded the Mexican.
Sergio Pérez, Red Bull Racing RB18
Photo by: Glenn Dunbar / Motorsport Images
Sergio Pérez, Red Bull Racing RB18, goes wide
Photo by: Alessio Morgese
