“It was a good fight”- Sergio Perez happy finishing P2 after making a late ‘comeback’ at 2022 F1 British GP

Sergio Perez was pleased with himself after his stellar recovery drive helped him bag P2 at the 2022 F1 British GP.

The Red Bull driver started the race in P4 and picked up damage on the opening lap of the second start of the race at Silverstone.

The 32-year-old was forced to pit to change his front wing, dropping all the way to the bottom of the grid and seemingly ending his chances of a good race.

As he manouvered his way back to points places, a late Safety Car following Alpine driver Esteban Ocon's sudden stoppage on the track breathed life back into his race.

Sergio Perez was able to come in for fresh soft tires before mounting a late charge to get past Ferrari's Charles Leclerc and then hold off local hero Lewis Hamilton to cross the line behind first-time race winner Carlos Sainz.

Speaking in the post-race interview with 2009 F1 world champion Jenson Button, the Mexican said:

“It was a great comeback, you know. We didn’t give up, we kept pushing. Then the opportunity came at the end and we just went for it. It was a great fight with Charles [Leclerc], physical. Then with Lewis [Hamilton], I felt like I had the position, but then Lewis was there. It was just an epic final laps but it was a good fight between us.”

When asked to elaborate on his incident on the opening lap, Sergio Perez said:

“Basically, I just got squeezed. I had no room to go. Charles was on the inside, Max [Verstappen] was on the outside. My front wing got damaged pretty badly so I had to pit to change it, went to last place and recovered from there.”

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"You go from hero to zero in a matter of weeks" - Sergio Perez says it's 'important to keep pushing' in F1

Sergio Perez reiterated the importance of perserverance in succeeding in F1 no matter how difficult the circumstances may get.

After a sensational victory at the 2022 F1 Monaco GP, where he became the first Mexican to stand on the top step of the podium in the Principality, Perez followed it up by extending his deal with Red Bull until the end of 2024.

The 32-year-old reflected on the unpredictable trajectory of his career. From being out of a drive with Racing Point (now Aston Martin F1) heading towards the end of the 2020 season to the present, when Perez is now on the precipice of mounting a serious title challenge for the first time in his career.

When asked if this serves as a lesson to be tenacious, the Red Bull man said:

“Certainly. Not just for me, I think for everyone, because in this world things change so quickly, literally from one race to the other, you know. You go from hero to zero in a matter of weeks. So, I think it’s just important to keep pushing, keep making the most of your opportunities, and you never know when you’re going to get the right opportunity in your career.”

Heading towards the 2022 F1 Austrian GP weekend, Sergio Perez is P2 in the World Drivers Championship standings with 147 points. Red Bull leads the Constructor Standings with 328 points.