Formula 1 | Red Bull avoided ‘brutal’ move for Perez in Austin

Red Bull team manager Christian Horner has claimed he would have been « brutal » to sacrifice a podium for Sergio Perez in order to steal the point for the fastest lap from Lewis Hamilton.

Red Bull are fighting Mercedes in the Drivers ‘and Constructors’ Championships this season with a very close fight on both fronts.

In previous races, Red Bull and Mercedes have often stopped Perez and Valtteri Bottas to score a point for the fastest lap in order to deprive the opposing team’s title contender of it, but in the United States that would have meant for Perez to sacrifice a podium.

“It would have been brutal to force that on Checo and probably deprive him of his podium because Leclerc was obviously too close behind. Our simulations showed that he could have passed him quite easily if the timing had been right but we didn’t. did not take that risk. « 

« And for the team’s position in the constructors’ championship, it was better for Checo to take the podium points so that’s what we did. »

Horner also adds that Perez’s form may not be suitable for this kind of exercise at the end of the race.

“Checo led another very strong race but as you know his drink bottle wasn’t working and it wasn’t great for him. He had stomach problems on top of that for most of the weekend, so it wasn’t great for him that sunday. He was really exhausted at the end of the race. So again that would have been a risk. «