In the early stages of the 2022 championship, Red Bull’s Sergio Perez too had a fair chance to battle for the championship title alongside his teammate Max Verstappen and Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc.
Throughout the season, while Verstappen saw quite a successful run with victories and leading the grid, Perez found himself struggling with the car.
Just warming up the strip 😎 @SChecoPerez pic.twitter.com/qSWTrwIZjT
— Oracle Red Bull Racing (@redbullracing) November 6, 2022
Still, the Mexican driver tried to catch up to his teammate and stay in the battle for the title. But he suggests that his efforts came to an end at the Austrian GP when he collided with Mercedes’ George Russell.
Speaking to Motorsport-Total.com, Perez blamed the crash with Russell in Austria for the end of his chances to fight for the drivers’ championship.
Also Read: Lewis Hamilton reckons Las Vegas GP a great place to win 8th Championship title
What happened at the 2022 Austrian GP?
Perez had started the race at the Red Bull Ring from P5 but soon had to retire after getting involved in a crash with Russell at Turn 1.
The collision saw Perez spinning on the track and hitting the gravel. The Briton was handed a 5-sec penalty for causing the collision but having suffered only minor damage to his W13 he finished the race at P4.
The DNF in Austria cost Perez 57 points in the championship standing and saw an end to Perez’s fight for the title.
Also Read: George Russell trolls David Croft in regards to Red Bull’s decisions with Sky Sports
Red Bull car specifications are not in favour of Sergio Perez
The Mexican driver has often been seen struggling in the RB18 which Verstappen, on the other hand, has benefited from.
As the season progressed, Perez said that the developments in the RB18 have only made the car more uncomfortable for him.
He revealed that his problem was that he is less confident in the car, which has more pointy characteristics that suits Verstappen.
The Mexican said that the team had a clear plan for building the car with a focus more on Verstappen than Perez. Going ahead, the Mexican driver hopes that such plans would be avoided.
Also Read: Sergio Perez set to promote $200 million Marvel film at Brazilian Grand Prix
