It’s not a surprise, Sergio Perez arrived at Red Bull with the conviction of winning races and championships, but the reality has been quite different since 2021.
In a duel with Georges Russell during a race in Barcelona, the Red Bull driver was on track to win his first F1 Grand Prix of the season when he took the lead from the Mercedes. However, his team’s strategy backfired on him and he had to let Max Verstappen pass, ultimately settling for second place in a Red Bull one-two finish against him.
« I think that when I let Max (Verstappen) pass, it was fine (note: he was faster), but before when I came into the pit lane I could have also opted for a different strategy and overtaken the drivers ahead. We would have had a chance to win the race then. But we still have to be satisfied with this double. Of course, I wanted to win, but I believe I was on the worst strategy.
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Sergio Perez found himself several times on Max Verstappen’s path with a slightly different strategy. If he had to let his teammate pass, it was a different response that his team gave him when he asked to overtake Verstappen when he had fresher tires.
Indeed, while returning to the pit on lap 17 to switch to medium tires, Perez is quick. So quick that he catches up to Verstappen who is dueling with Russell. Verstappen comes in on lap 28 to switch to soft tires but loses precious seconds behind the two drivers, without permission to overtake them. Perez could have then opted for a two-stop strategy, which he believes would have been the key to success. However, his team eventually calls him to the pit on laps 37 and 53 to change tires again and stick to a three-stop strategy.
