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Sergio Perez has spoken about the controversial radio message he received from Red Bull Racing during the final stages of the 2023 F1 Saudi Arabian GP.
As Perez was leading the race, he was told to maintain a certain lap time, which was slightly slower than what Max Verstappen was told to maintain, who was chasing him from second place.
Speaking to the media, the Mexican recalled the conversation he had with his team. He demanded that they look into the situation and figure out why different information was given to both drivers. He said:
"I asked two laps from the end when they told me to keep a certain pace. They told me I had the fastest lap and to keep the pace at a certain pace. I thought the communication was the same to Max, I think we need to review the different information and I just couldn’t push then in the end."
He added:
"Obviously, they have more information than us and I think the team did a fantastic job of letting us race. I just felt like there was a point where, for the last 10 laps or so, we had very similar pace – within a tenth faster or slower. I just felt like the gap, it would have been probably a little bit less or a little more, but it wouldn’t have changed anything."
Lastly, Sergio Perez mentioned the reliability issues that Red Bull faced during qualifying and the race. Though it looked like a comfortable win for both Checo and Verstappen, the former revealed how it was more about somehow finishing the race without encountering a terminal problem. He concluded:
"I was just thinking about the car and just making sure...I was having some strange vibrations and obviously, what happened to Max was on the back of my mind today and I’m sure it was on the back of the mind of the team as well. So it was just a matter of making sure both cars finished to maximise maximum points."
Sergio Perez happy after winning Saudi Arabian GP despite reliability worries
Despite several reliability issues, Red Bull were able to bag a 1-2 podium finish at the 2023 F1 Saudi Arabian GP.
During the post-race interview, race winner Sergio Perez mentioned how the team did an amazing job of tackling all the mechanical issues, saying:
"The team did a fantastic job - they've worked so hard during the weekend. We've had a lot of mechanical issues and these guys have been on top of that. I'm really happy for them and it's time to celebrate."
Red Bull did not look the strongest and faultless in the Saudi Arabian GP. Max Verstappen suffered a driveshaft issue during qualifying, which forced him to start from 15th on the grid. Later in the race, the Dutchman continued to have issues with the driveshaft, while Sergio Perez reported issues with braking.
