The Mexican driver analyzed the contact that affected his result in Shanghai and explained how an incident during a battle for position completely changed the team’s strategy during the Grand Prix.
The Chinese Grand Prix once again showed how tight the battle can be in the middle of the Formula 1 grid. In that group, where several teams compete separated by tenths, any incident can completely alter the course of a race. That was the situation Sergio “Checo” Pérez faced at the Shanghai circuit.
The Mexican driver was involved in one of the most talked-about moments of the race after a contact while fighting for position. The move happened when several cars arrived very close together at a braking zone, a common situation on a circuit that combines long straights with wide-radius corners.
After the race, Pérez analyzed what happened in detail. The Mexican explained that his objective was to defend the position against the cars coming from behind.
“I tried to defend the position,” he said while describing the moment before the contact.
According to the driver, the maneuver occurred at a point on the circuit where cars reach very high speeds before a heavy braking zone. In those situations, even a small difference in trajectory can result in contact between cars.
The incident ended up affecting Pérez’s race pace. The Mexican lost time and positions after the contact, which forced the team to rethink its strategy for the rest of the Grand Prix.
“After the contact we had to change the plan,” he explained when referring to the work carried out from the pit wall.
That strategic change involved adjusting the timing of pit stops and modifying tire management in order to try to recover ground in the final laps. In a championship as competitive as modern Formula 1, those adjustments can make the difference between finishing inside or outside the points.
Beyond the final result, Pérez explained that the team managed to gather valuable information during the race.
“We know where we can improve,” he said while analyzing the overall performance of the car during the weekend.
The Mexican driver also highlighted that the behavior of the car was competitive at several moments during the race. However, the on-track incident ultimately conditioned the final result.
In that context, the team’s post-race analysis will focus on understanding what decisions might have been made differently during the battle on track.
In modern Formula 1, where the margins between teams are minimal, managing these situations becomes essential to maintain a consistent race.
With several rounds still ahead in the championship, Pérez believes the lessons learned in Shanghai will be important for the upcoming races.
The goal now will be to turn that experience into a stronger execution in the next events on the calendar.