Perez was lucky: Tyres "would have exploded on the next lap"

Sergio Perez has not always had luck on his side in 2020. The Racing Point driver missed two Grands Prix due to a coronavirus infection, but even during GP weekends, the penny hasn't often fallen his way. Sometimes, Racing Point opted for the wrong strategies but in Turkey, everything fell into place.

Stroll was the first to be brought in by his team for a fresh set of intermediates. Perez's pit box waited to see how the new rubber would perform under the young Canadian's car. "I was told that Lance immediately suffered from graining. So it was better to use the current set of tyres to the finish," he said.

In the final lap, it looked like Perez had lost his P2. The experienced Mexican saw Charles Leclerc pass by and his Ferrari teammate Sebastian Vettel wasn't far away. He eventually recovered and thus managed to claim second place. It's a good thing that the Grand Prix at Istanbul Park didn't last much longer for Perez.

Tyres gone

The tyres were really at the end of their tether. "The tyres were shaking violently. I think they would have exploded on the next lap," Perez told Auto, Motor und Sport.