Sergio Perez’s race at Miami certainly wasn’t a standout one, ending with a modest P4. However, amidst the mediocrity, there was an incident sparking debate; notably his risky move at the start which nearly caused a collision with both Ferraris and Max Verstappen.
After a decent launch from his box, Perez spotted a gap on the inside and pushed the limits in an attempt to get past both Ferraris. This led him to locking up and almost rear-ending Verstappen’s car. Team Principal Christian Horner acknowledged Perez’s optimism, attributing it partly to a slow start by Charles Leclerc, yet recognizing the potential severity of the situation.
Speaking to Motorsport.com, Horner stated, “He tried to attack, but obviously, he went long and was very lucky not to hit Max [Verstappen] at the first corner, as well as not to hit the two Ferraris as he returned to the track. I was pleased to see that all the cars survived without damage.”
Verstappen, reflecting after the race, admitted to seeing Perez in his mirrors and narrowly avoiding disaster as the Mexican squeezed through the gap between him and the Red cars. “I was aware,” he remarked, “After the race, I saw that there was a scratch on my diffuser. So something must have hit. But yes, it was close. The situation could have ended in a disaster, of course, for the team too.”
The incident highlighted the fine line between bravery and recklessness in F1, with both luck and skill playing a crucial role in balancing it. While Perez’s ambitions added spice to the race, it would have been extremely risky had things gone wrong.
Sergio Perez shares his take
Sergio Perez also shed light on his dramatic lock-up. Reflecting on the tense moment, Perez attributed it to a lack of grip, drawing parallels to a similar incident involving Lewis Hamilton during the Sprint race.
“As soon as I dived [to the] inside of Charles, I could see as soon as I hit the brakes there was no grip at all like we saw yesterday with Lewis.” Perez explained, “Off-line here, especially into Turn 1, there’s no grip, zero grip down there, and I did struggle quite a bit, unfortunately.”
Regarding his overall performance, the #11 driver admitted to feeling off-balance. “[It’s] something we have to review [to find out] what was going on there, and then make the best possible course in that regard and learn from the race, because we certainly lacked some good pace today.”
Perez’s insights shed light on the challenges he’s currently facing, as his competition for P2 gets hotter with Red Bull’s rivals finally closing the gap.
