Perez on the podium despite starting 15th in Austria
Sergio Perez returns to the podium after four difficult Grand Prix races for the Mexican. The driver hopes to get back to his best form and become consistent again during the races.
After three Grand Prix events where the Mexican driver did not make it to the podium, Sergio Perez secured third place this Sunday in Austria for his team’s home race. Despite a poor qualifying session where Checo Perez started from 15th position (the driver had his lap times canceled three times in Q2 due to track limits violations), the 33-year-old racer managed an impressive comeback to finish third with some impressive overtakes.
The Mexican did not have all the green lights to achieve a good result in the main race at Spielberg. The number 11 from the Austrian team was sick during the beginning of the weekend. A performance that makes him happy. « Yes, I am very happy. It has been a very difficult weekend for me personally. Physically, I was very weak, I was sick on Thursday, I had a fever throughout the weekend, and we made a good comeback. We had a good strategy and a good pace », Checo Perez congratulates.
The driver who secured his third place after a fierce battle with Ferrari driver Carlos Sainz for several turns reflects on this battle: « It was very tough but fair, yes, the Ferraris were very strong, especially in the slow corners. They had very good traction, but it was a great comeback.
For the driver, this good result could allow him to return to his best level and compete once again with Max Verstappen, untouchable since the Miami Grand Prix. Sergio Perez hasn’t made it to Q3 in qualifying since the American round. “I’m in a bad streak, but I’m back and I hope to regain my consistency,” said the Mexican in a press conference after the Grand Prix.
Remember that the Mexican driver is currently second in the world championship behind Max Verstappen.
He is therefore the main competitor for his teammate at Red Bull, despite already being 81 points behind in the championship. Therefore, Max Verstappen would need to not score any points in the next 4 races, and Perez would have to win all the upcoming Grand Prix in order to give him a chance to win the 2023 F1 title.
