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Constructors' championship key: 'Perez lets Red Bull down'

Constructors' championship key: 'Perez lets Red Bull down'

27-09-2021 18:06
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GPblog.com

Mercedes can be satisfied after the Russian Grand Prix. The team took again more points than Red Bull Racing and increases their lead in the Constructors' Championship. In the new episode of RTL Slipstream Allard Kalff and Kees van de Grint discuss the second drivers of the teams.

Mercedes did a tactical engine change to Valtteri Bottas, causing him to start from the back of the grid just like Max Verstappen. According to Mercedes there was really something wrong with the engine, but others thought it was a move to get in Verstappen's way. In the end, the Dutchman got past them quickly. "Every driver, even a Haas driver, makes it difficult for the competitor, but not Bottas at all. He believes it. He did well afterwards to finish fifth, but in that corner he didn't give in at all", says Van de Grint.

Mercedes and Red Bull are still fighting for the constructors' title and the drivers' championship. According to Van de Grint the constructors' championship is the most important. "That's what brings in the money. I also thought, it's a good tactical move, but that's also why I had said that Bottas would tactically give a bit more resistance against Verstappen. I doubt if Max had been on the first or second row of the grid they would have made that switch. In this case it was pointless, because he didn't give Verstappen any trouble."

Perez let the team down

The men also talk about Sergio Perez. "Two races in a row that you don't win and still think mwah, it wasn't that bad. Although I can't help feeling that they are sitting in Milton Keynes thinking about how they can get this Perez to score some more points," said Kalff.

"You can spend hours on that, but it was nothing special. Of course he was in the lead, but I didn't understand much of that tactic either. He couldn't help Max in that sense or Perez should have been first, but that wasn't to be. But of course he let Red Bull down again, also with respect to Bottas," said Van de Grint.