Red Bull didn’t want to take the best lap from Hamilton

Several times this season, Red Bull has wanted to prevent Mercedes (and vice versa) from setting the fastest lap in the race (synonymous with a bonus point in case of a top ten finish) through Sergio Pérez, who is not in the title race. At Silverstone, for example, the Mexican driver, who was on his way to tenth place, was called back by his team to put on new tires in order to take back the fastest lap from Hamilton.

At the United States Grand Prix last Sunday, Pérez had much more to lose than just a meager tenth place. In fact, a pit stop to put on fresh tires would have pushed him out of the top three: the gap with Leclerc’s Ferrari was insufficient.

Christian Horner, the team principal, finds that the decision to pit Pérez solely to take the fastest lap from Hamilton would have been excessive: « It would have been too harsh to strip Checo’s [Perez note] podium in this way,” he told Autosport.

« Leclerc was way too close behind. As a team, it was better for Sergio to score as many points as possible ». Horner also praises his driver’s race, who suffered from dehydration throughout the race. « When we see how he managed his race, it is clear that his confidence is returning. His home race is coming soon (the Mexican Grand Prix will take place in eleven days) and he is getting back in shape, which is crucial for us at the end of the season ».

By scoring thirteen points against Mercedes in this Grand Prix, Red Bull now has only 23 points behind the constructor with the star in the constructors’ standings (460.5 points for Mercedes, 437.5 for the Austrian team). As for Pérez, he had never scored so many points (30) in two races this year or even in his entire career.