Sergio Perez finished P3 in the 2022 Mexico City GP. The Red Bull driver also moved up to P2 in the driver’s Championship ahead of Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc. But despite this, Perez was clearly unhappy after a poor pit stop dashed the chances of claiming a win in his home Grand Prix.
Perez started P4 but quickly made up places after overtaking Mercedes’s George Russell. Perez was enjoying the race until a shaky 5-second pit-stop altered his momentum.
The Mexican was greeted with cheers after he claimed another podium. But he bemoaned saying, “I really wanted more but third place.”
Red Bull suffered a botched 11-second long pitstop in Austin too which left Max Verstappen raging. But this mistake has prompted an internal investigation.
What was Sergio Perez’s strategy in the 2022 Mexico City GP?
Sergio Perez started the Mexico City GP on pair of Softs which helped him gain track position. Red Bull hoped to undercut the Mercedes of Lewis Hamilton by pitting Perez early on lap 24 for mediums tyres.
But a problem with the right-front wheel meant the Mexican lost any advantage to catch up with Hamilton on track. Red Bull team principal Christian Horner commented that he felt sorry for the unlucky Perez.
Horner claimed, “I think without the issue of the pitstop, I think Checo Perez would have got the jump on Lewis.” Perez entered the race in sixth place behind the Ferrari duo of Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz.
Hamilton later pitted for a Hard set of tyres and by that time Red Bull lost the chance to put pressure on the Briton. Hamilton was aided by the circuit which is notoriously difficult to overtake in, and he would eventually finish P2
Horner clarified the error saying, “We need to investigate what caused that. It looks like the nut actually stuck, or it wouldn’t undo cleanly. It will be studied by Red Bull before the race in Brazil.
Also Read: Max Verstappen’s Red Bull mechanics cheered for Lewis Hamilton when he finished P2 at Mexican GP
Mercedes’s threw away a win says Christain Horner
Mercedes secured P2 and P3 in qualifying with George Russell and Lewis Hamilton splitting the Red Bull duo. But the team lost a great chance to secure their first race win this season because of the wrong tyre strategy.
Mercedes chose a defensive strategy by starting on Mediums and later opting for Hards. Had they opted for an attacking strategy like Red Bull, the team could have won claimed Team Principal Toto Wolff.
Even Red Bull Team Principal Christian Horner was baffled by the Silver Arrows’ approach. “We were quite surprised Mercedes went as conservative as they did with the medium/hard strategy,” Horner said.
The Hard tyres have faced a lot of flak from drivers’ for not being fit for racing. And Horner stated it was surprising to see Mercedes chose the tyres that failed them during the previous weekend in COTA.
“If you hear their drivers, they’re not very happy about the hard tyre. That’s the second weekend in a row they’ve put that tyre on and it’s cost them a victory. I was quite surprised at that.”
