Sunday: Kobayashi sorry, Pérez disappointed at Sauber
Sauber leaves Korea empty-handed despite conditions seeming favorable for a positive result. Kamui Kobayashi, the hero of Suzuka, was forced to retire after a four-way battle went wrong, while Sergio Pérez's strategy was compromised by a poor pit stop that left him too far behind to climb back into the points before the end of the race.
Sergio Pérez – 11th:
« It’s really a shame not to have scored any points today. My first stint was good, despite a bit of understeer caused by the incident after the start where I damaged the front of the car. But our plan was good and the strategy seemed to work. Unfortunately, we then encountered a problem at the pit stop and we never managed to recover from it. That was where we lost the race because I fell behind a group of cars. However, towards the end, it seemed again that there was a chance to score a point. My car was fast, I overtook Paul [di Resta] and Lewis [Hamilton] had a problem. But in the end, I just couldn’t catch up to him. Today, I think 6th place would have been what we could have achieved under perfect circumstances. »
Kamui Kobayashi – Retirement:
« It’s a race to forget. I got a good start, but then we were four abreast before turn 3. I had Nico [Rosberg] on the right and Jenson [Button] then Sergio [Pérez] on my left. Someone touched my rear tire, and it was impossible to control the car, but I had to brake at some point. I couldn’t avoid the accident, and I’m sorry for ruining another’s race, and it was certainly not my intention. It was just a very difficult moment, and I had nowhere to go, but I think it’s my fault. I came back to the pits for repairs, but my car had too much damage to finish the race, so we had to retire after 17 laps. »
