Sergio Pérez was left disappointed and outside of the points in the Canadian Grand Prix on Sunday and was critical after Carlos Sainz Jr. avoided a penalty for tipping him into a spin at the restart following the early race safety car.
The Sahara Force India F1 Team racer felt he should have scored points at the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve but for the clash with the Renault Sport Formula One Team driver at turn one, which he felt deserved a penalty only for the stewards to deem it a racing incident.
With Sainz going on to finish eighth, Pérez dropped down the field with his race compromised and was classified a disappointing thirteenth.
“I am very disappointed to come away from this race with no points,” said Pérez. “The start was good, although I didn’t make up any places, but the restart after the Safety Car was even better and I managed to pass Carlos [Sainz].
“I was very surprised when he hit me because I gave him more than enough room and I was ahead: that wasn’t good enough and that’s why I asked for a penalty on the radio. I was able to save the car [from crashing] but by then my race was compromised.”
After that, Pérez gambled on a two-stop strategy, making his second stop at the end of lap forty-four, but with overtaking near impossible at the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve, the Mexican was unable to better thirteenth at the chequered flag.
“We tried something different with the strategy – going for a two-stopper – but it wasn’t enough to get back in the points,” said the Mexican. “Overtaking was impossible, with these cars you can’t follow another car and pass them unless you have a big advantage.
“It’s a shame because I feel we had the pace to be mixing with the Renaults and we should have scored some good points.”
