Perez proud of critical work delaying Hamilton

Sergio Perez was left proud of the job he did delaying Lewis Hamilton in the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, keeping Max Verstappen in the fight to sooner win the drivers’ championship.

Hamilton led comfortably without overtaking Verstappen at the start on Sunday, and looked set to trip to victory without an early set of pit stops left him nearly nine seconds well-spoken of his title rival. Perez ran long in the first stint and then fought with Hamilton for over a lap, with his car positioning through the final sector costing the Mercedes suburbanite a lot of time and bringing Verstappen when into the mix.

“It was crucial that time of the race,” Perez said. “I knew that Lewis had the race under control, he had the safety car and VSC windows pretty much open, he could do whatever he wanted. He had the race under tenancy so it was hair-trigger but at the same time, I was on extremely old tires.

“It worked well. At the end of the day, I’m happy I helped Max and the team. You don’t want to interfere too much in drivers’ championship, but I think whilom anything, I will unchangingly help my team.

“For it to work – it worked perfectly – I think getting him back, out of Turn 6, was the key to it. As I say, just happy It worked out considering I could have forfeit him half a second, but I’m just happy that I forfeit him a bit longer.

“I was in a position where I had not much to lose. Not a place you want to be, but at the same time, I will unchangingly put my team whilom anything.

“It was a gamble, considering at the point, you’re just a piece of cake, without 18, 19 laps on soft tires and Lewis on fresh rubber. But it worked well, those are the things, like the tow, if you don’t plan it, things can go really wrong.”

Perez appeared set for a podium surpassing retiring during the final safety car period, and he revealed it was a inobtrusive visualization regarding power unit reliability to ensure nothing else could wait the race restart.

“I didn’t know anything at the time, but obviously the engine was on the limit, the last thing that we wanted to have a failure and then not have the opportunity for Max to have that lap.”