F1 | Perez: “Second was the best result possible today”

Fifth place in yesterday's qualifying had already started the usual rumblings about Sergio Perez not being up to the standard of Red Bull. The Mexican, however, made a great comeback when it counted most, in the race, recovering to second position and giving the Milton Keynes team a beautiful double in the Bahrain Grand Prix, the inaugural round of the 2024 Formula 1.

Already after the winter tests, in the predictions, “Checo” was placed behind the two Ferraris, which effectively confirmed themselves as second force behind the RB20s. Today, however, Perez raced with determination, immediately taking fourth position at the start against Carlos Sainz. During the first stint he managed to take advantage of the brake problems plaguing Charles Leclerc's SF-24 to take third. Then, immediately after the first pit stop, he also overtook George Russell's Mercedes.

At that point his teammate Max Verstappen was too far away (in the end he distanced him by about twenty seconds) and Perez only had to keep Sainz at a distance to take home a second place which is a great way to start a season fundamental for him, the last of his contract with Red Bull.

“I think it was the best possible result today. It was a fairly complicated race for tire management, but from which I think we will learn a lot. But I think it's a good way to start the season”, said Sainz into the microphone of David Coulthard as soon as he got out of his RB20 and before going to the podium.

When he was then asked to get a little more specific about what made his race complicated, he continued: “I had some difficulties when switching from one compound to another, because I was sliding quite a bit. Then I also had a problem with the engine braking, but this evening we will analyze all the data to ensure that everything will be in order when we arrive in Jeddah.”

The first was positive, but soon we will have to turn the page, because next week we will already be racing in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia: “There is little time, but we have started with a good momentum and we will try to continue like this for the weekends in come”.