In Shanghai, Ferrari driver Leclerc and McLaren’s Lando Norris had delayed their first pitstop and had been in a position to convert to a one-stop underneath a mid-race security automotive for Valtteri Bottas’ stricken Sauber.
Perez and team-mate Max Verstappen had already made a inexperienced flag pitstop earlier and had been compelled in a second time so they might get to the tip on laborious tyres.
Verstappen’s ferocious tempo meant he was in a position to hold his lead, however Perez got here out behind Norris and Leclerc.
Based on the Mexican, having to make use of his laborious tyres to move Leclerc meant he ran out of tyre life to catch and move Norris, who comfortably break up the 2 Pink Bulls on the end.
“At that time, the hole was already fairly huge and given how good his tempo was on a primary stint when it comes to degradation I knew it was going to be shut,” Perez stated after ending six seconds behind Norris and 19 behind Verstappen.
“We principally had the identical tempo. When you go by the automotive forward and also you cease combating for I do not know what number of laps we ended up combating between Charles and myself, then it is actually recreation over.
“You utilize a lot of your tyre. You set a lot power into them that they by no means actually come again. It is fairly a high-degradation place and I paid the value.
Sergio Perez, Pink Bull Racing RB20, third place, arrives in Parc Ferme
Photograph by: Steven Tee / Motorsport Photos
“However that was the one approach I might get by Charles as a result of we had been clearly on the identical tyre age and it was actually tough to get by.”
Group principal Horner agreed with the Mexican that the timing of the protection automotive scuppered Pink Bull’s probabilities of one other one-two end, with Perez between six and 9 tenths slower than his world champion team-mate in clear air after passing Leclerc.
“The security automotive got here out at simply the flawed time. We successfully needed to convert to go on to the identical technique as them for the second half of the race, which value Checo observe place,” Horner declared.
“He dropped behind Lando and Charles and I feel he was most likely pushing laborious to move Charles.
“He possibly took an excessive amount of out of the tyre at that time, which then did not go away him sufficient to have a go at Charles on the finish. I feel with out the protection automotive it might have been a one-two.”
