Sergio Pérez reckoned he would have needed rainfall for him to score points in the Monaco Grand Prix, with the Racing Point F1 Team racer finishing thirteenth on the road on Sunday.
Pérez, who was moved up to twelfth in the final result thanks to a penalty handed out to Haas F1 Team’s Kevin Magnussen for leaving the track and gaining an advantage as the two fought for position, said he tried his best to make the most of his lowly grid slot, with the Mexican starting sixteenth on the grid after a poor Qualifying display.
A few drops of rain did fall during the race at the Circuit de Monaco but not enough to mix things up, meaning Pérez was always struggling to make enough gains to score a top ten result.
“It wasn’t an easy race but we tried our best today,” said Pérez. “I am pleased we finished the race, but we couldn’t fight for the points in the end.
“We really needed the rain to come and mix things up, but there were a few lights spots and that was it.”
Pérez was one of the drivers to be caught up in the incident at Rascasse between Robert Kubica and Antonio Giovinazzi just after the restart following the safety car, but the Mexican was more disappointed in the move by Magnussen that saw the Dane cut the Nouvelle Chicane to retain position when it appeared Pérez was about to pass him for twelfth.
Post-race Magnussen was handed a time penalty for the offence that promoted Pérez up to that twelfth position, but he does not know if his race would have panned out differently had the move stuck or if the Dane had conceded the position.
“When the safety car came out we chose to pit, but I was in a lot of traffic and lost quite a bit of time in the traffic jam at Rascasse,” said the Mexican. “Later in the race I made a move on Magnussen, which I felt was a fair move, but he cut the chicane and kept the position.
“In the end getting ahead of Magnussen may have changed our result, so I think he should have given me the position back.”
Pérez was involved in one of the more scarier moments of recent Formula 1 history when, while exiting the pit lane following his pit stop he encountered two marshals clearing debris from the track, with the Mexican feeling lucky that he was able to avoid them as they attempted to run back off the track and out of harm’s way.
“I don’t know if you saw but in the safety car I had a marshal running and I nearly ran over him – coming out of the pits in Turn 1,” Pérez is quoted as saying by Motorsport.com. “They were running back and I was coming out of the pits.
“I had to brake and was very lucky – they were lucky I avoided them. They’re usually very good, but it’s safety at the end of the day – and most important is safety for the marshals and drivers.”
