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Sergio Perez was a victim of his own impatience during the 2022 F1 Miami GP, according to former driver turned analyst Jolyon Palmer.
The Red Bull driver was fighting Ferrari's Carlos Sainz for the final podium spot at the Miami International Autodrome when he overshot his Red Bull RB18 going into Turn 1 late.
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Following the race, Palmer elaborated on the duel between Perez and Sainz, saying how things could have been different for the 32-year-old driver. Palmer said:
“It couldn’t have been any better for Checo [Sergio Perez], really – from fourth, he’s tried to fight with Carlos [Sainz] who had no grip. I think it was just tire warm-up on used hards. He [Sainz] covered the inside and was right onto the dirty part of the track but Checo just couldn’t make it through there and he had to just wait, bide his time and he got a bit impatient later on.”
A crash involving Lando Norris and Pierre Gasly brought out the safety car and allowed the Mexican to pit for fresh medium tires. However, Perez was still unable to use that and Red Bull's pace advantage over Ferrari to overtake Sainz.
Palmer delved into Perez's mindset and went on to say:
“I think that was just classic impatience – ‘I’ve been sitting behind this Ferrari, I’ve got a faster car, I’m on the mediums, I’ll give it a go’. It just wasn’t to be. Overtaking wasn’t that easy. On the other hand, George Russell managed to pass Lewis [Hamilton] and he had much fresher mediums, a bit like Checo and Carlos Sainz ahead. I still thought Perez might come past Sainz. I still thought the difference on new mediums should be enough to come through, particularly when you saw what Verstappen was doing at the front looking pretty measured in the other Red Bull. He [Perez] had a bit of bad luck earlier in the race with the power and that dropped him back so maybe it could have been a bit different for him, but I was surprised he couldn’t fight a little bit harder.”
"I have the opportunity to be world champion with Red Bull" - Sergio Perez does not see himself as Red Bull's No.2 driver
Sergio Perez dismissed the notion that he is the second driver at Red Bull, reigning world champion Max Verstappen being the first.
Speaking in an interview with SoyMotor following his P2 finish at the 2022 Imola GP, the Mexican driver said:
“Red Bull gives me the opportunity to fight for the Championship, nowhere does it say that I have to be behind Max [Verstappen]. If he has won, it is because he has been stronger on the track. I feel that I have the opportunity to be world champion with Red Bull. It would be disrespectful to me and my career to be in Formula 1 knowing that I aspire to nothing.”
After five rounds of the 2022 season, Sergio Perez is third in the World Drivers' Championship standings with 66 points to his name. Verstappen currently holds a 19-point lead over his teammate.
