Charles Leclerc of Monaco representing Ferrari in the SF-24 car participated in the Formula 1 World Championship, Round 5, known as the Chinese Grand Prix, held in Shanghai, China on April 21, 2024.
Sergio Perez has confessed that his attempt to overtake Charles Leclerc hindered his opportunity to catch up with Lando Norris and secure second place in the Chinese Grand Prix of Formula 1.
Perez commenced the race alongside his Red Bull teammate Max Verstappen at the front row but faced difficulties at Turn 1, causing him to fall behind Fernando Alonso’s Aston Martin.
Although Perez managed to surpass Alonso at Turn 6 during the fifth lap, Verstappen had already gained a significant lead, creating a five-second gap at the front.
“Yeah, I was clearly positioned on the inside of Max and had to brake earlier, while Fernando was on the outside,” Perez explained.
“My start wasn’t impressive, resulting in me losing a position to Fernando. I had to put in considerable effort to overtake him.
“Perhaps I pushed my tires a bit too much, which put me at a disadvantage in the first stint. It wasn’t a straightforward race.
“But I also felt that the changes we made from the Sprint event to the race took us in the wrong direction. It seemed like we took a step back.”
Perez was unable to match Verstappen’s exceptional pace and fell behind Lando Norris and Charles Leclerc when they made pit stops during the Virtual Safety Car period.
The Red Bull driver spent several laps trailing behind the Ferrari before finally making a move. However, this resulted in a significant gap to make up against the leading McLaren car.
“At that point, the gap was already considerable, and considering how well his pace held up in terms of tire degradation during the first stint, I knew it would be challenging,” Perez acknowledged.
“But once we had similar pace, and once you overtake the car ahead and engage in a battle, like the number of laps Charles and I fought each other, then it’s game over.
“You exert so much pressure on your tires and drain their energy that they never fully recover. It’s a track that causes high tire degradation, and I paid the price.
“But that was the only way I could overtake Charles because we were both on tires of the same age, making it extremely difficult to pass him.”
Perez also had to work his way up the order to secure third place in the Sprint race, and he admitted that dealing with traffic exacerbated the balance issues he faced.
“Well, I believe I was mainly caught up in the pack,” he explained. “Once you find yourself amidst a group of cars, it becomes extremely challenging to assess the true balance of your own car.
“When there are two or three cars ahead of you, the load on your car decreases significantly, making it difficult to determine the balance.
“It’s simply a limitation I faced today, but it’s something we need to review in order to evaluate the decisions we made and identify areas for improvement.”