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Christian Horner has defended Sergio Perez’s third place finish in the Chinese Grand Prix, arguing that his two-stop strategy would have “smashed” a one-stop approach without the intervention of the safety car.
Red Bull team principal Christian Horner explained the reason behind Sergio Perez losing second place to McLaren’s Lando Norris in the Chinese Grand Prix. Perez started on the front row alongside teammate Max Verstappen but fell behind Fernando Alonso on the opening lap. Despite working his way past Alonso, Perez was unable to hold off Norris and Charles Leclerc when the safety car was deployed due to Valtteri Bottas’ retirement. Horner noted that the safety car timing was unfavorable for Red Bull, forcing Perez to make an additional pit stop and resulting in him finishing behind Norris and Leclerc. He believed that without the safety car interference, Perez could have secured a better position, as their two-stop strategy would have outperformed a one-stop strategy. Horner emphasized the unpredictability of safety car interventions and commended Perez for his strong performance, ultimately achieving a double podium finish.
