Verstappen must thank Pérez: 'His presence was fundamental'

Max Verstappen won convincingly from Lewis Hamilton during the French Grand Prix. Red Bull Racing used an excellent strategy to beat rival Mercedes, which according to Mark Hughes was due to the strong performance of Sergio Pérez.

The Mexican driver has been criticised for his consistency in recent months but showed his worth in France. "This is where Perez’s presence was fundamental to Mercedes’ actions," he tells on the official website of Formula 1. "They were reluctant to try for a repeat of Hungary 2020 or Barcelona ’21 where they had pitted Hamilton from behind and he’d been able to use his new tyres to catch and pass Verstappen before the end."

Pérez was able to hold off Hamilton in France when he made a pit stop. "That had been feasible because there was nothing to lose. This time there was: if they pitted Hamilton he’d rejoin behind Perez and would need to find a way around him before getting to Verstappen."

Pérez reaches third place in France

The Mexican eventually managed to reward himself with third place and with it a podium finish in France. Before that, Pérez passed his rival Valtteri Bottas with a fine overtaking move at the end of the race.