Checo Perez had one of those bittersweet days in Formula 1 on Sunday: a sweet taste for securing the runner-up spot in the Drivers' Championship despite all the pressure from inside and outside Red Bull, and without that complete happiness because on the last lap of the Las Vegas Grand Prix he let go of second place, overtaken by Charles Leclerc.
Something similar to what we experienced with Fernando Alonso, who took the podium from him in Brazil in a crazy overtake and finish, a word that goes ad hoc with what we experienced in Las Vegas: accidents, contact everywhere, two safety cars, several leaders during the race. And again with Checo fighting for a place on the last lap.
Sergio Perez spoke to F1 at the end of the race
At the end of the race, the Guadalajara-born Mexican momentarily forgot the historic fact of being the first driver from his country to win a runner-up spot in the world championship, to focus on what was the final moment in Las Vegas, losing to Leclerc.
"We had very strong pace in that first stint, so we got back into the fight and then with the safety car it took us into the lead and ahead of Charles, but I couldn't get away from him. I had too much wing on the car. So my straight-line speed was a bit low and I just couldn't get away. And then Max came along," he said.
The former Sauber, McLaren and Force India man started 11th in Las Vegas, to finish third at the chequered flag.
"The race started very badly, with a lot of damage. Initially we broke the front wing, so we basically went to the back of the grid and then progressively worked our way back up one by one." he said.
Sergio Perez's 35 Formula 1 podium finishes
- Malaysian Grand Prix 2012: Second place
- Canadian GP 2012: Third place
- Italian GP 2012: Second place
- Bahrain Grand Prix 2014: Third place
- Russian GP 2015: Third place
- Monaco Grand Prix 2016: Third Place
- European Grand Prix 2016: Third place
- Azerbaijan Grand Prix 2018: Third place
- Turkey GP 2020: Second place
- Sakhir GP 2020: First place
- Azerbaijan GP 2021: First Place
- GP of France 2021: Third place
- Turkish Grand Prix 2021: Third place
- United States Grand Prix 2021: Third Place
- GP of Mexico 2021: Third place
- Australian Grand Prix 2022: Second place
- GP of Emilia Romagna 2022: Second place
- GP of Spain 2022: Second place
- GP of Monaco 2022: First place
- GP of Azerbaijan 2022: Second place
- GP of Great Britain 2022: Runner-up
- Belgian GP 2022: Runner-up
- Singapore GP 2022: First place
- GP of Japan 2022: Second place
- Mexican Grand Prix 2022: Third place
- Abu Dhabi GP 2022: Third place
- Bahrain Grand Prix 2023: Second place
- Saudi Arabian GP 2023: First place
- Grand Prix of Azerbaijan 2023: First place
- Grand Prix of Miami 2023: Second place
- GP of Austria 2023: Third place
- Hungarian Grand Prix 2023: Third place
- Belgian GP 2023: Second Place
- Italian GP 2023: Second Place
- Las Vegas GP 2023: Third Place
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