Perez happy for Verstappen: "It was great to see Max get the win"

Sergio Perez struggled to get going in the Hungarian Grand Prix weekend, but on Sunday he was able to keep up with teammate Max Verstappen. The Red Bull Racing drivers were advancing through the field together after a disappointing qualifying session, but while Verstappen managed a win, Perez missed out on a podium. Both Perez and team principal Christian Horner believe a podium would have been possible had it not been for the late virtual safety car.

Perez was satisfied with his race, in which he climbed from eleventh to fifth place. He feared that after a difficult weekend, Sunday would also end in disappointment, but the Mexican scored important points. Still, he felt there could have been more. The late virtual safety car came at a bad time for Perez, who could not attack Carlos Sainz and George Russell.

Podium possible for Perez

"I felt a lot stronger in the final stint and with a few more laps I think I could have been on the podium with Max," Perez said in a Red Bull Racing press release. "It was a great race though and very fun at times. It was a fantastic recovery for the Team today and it was great to see Max get the win."

Christian Horner echoes his driver's words. "It was a fantastic race today. Everyone put in a top performance. Checo had a brilliant race and I believe if it hadn’t been for the VSC he would have podiumed," said the Red Bull team boss.