For Sergio Perez, the Grand Prix of Imola was a weekend with two faces. On the one hand, he showed in qualifying that the speed is there, but during the race, it went wrong twice so that he even finished outside the points. He still blames himself for that.
"On Sunday almost everyone made a mistake, but my mistake was more costly", he is quoted as saying at the press conference before the Portugal GP by Formule1.nl. "That was a great opportunity that we missed. It hurts as a driver because you know how hard the team works. But you have to move on."
Verstappen still gets no priority from Perez
Red Bull Racing could have picked up a one-two in Imola. Instead, Mercedes retained the lead in both championships, although Verstappen is just one point behind Lewis Hamilton in the drivers' championship.
The Dutchman is the world champion's doomed challenger, but Perez believes it is too early for the question of whether he should be set up as a second driver to arise. "I've been around long enough to know that it's not about how you start, but where you finish," said the Mexican.