Sergio Perez pins the blame on ‘cold tyres’ for his disastrous Japanese GP

Sergio Perez was awarded four penalty points for all his Japanese GP mishaps.

Sergio Perez pins the blame on ‘cold tyres’ for his disastrous Japanese GP

Sergio Perez and Helmut Marko (via IMAGO)

Sergio Perez‘s Japanese GP turned into a nightmarish ordeal, and the Red Bull driver had a clear culprit for his woes: cold tires. While Red Bull celebrated their sixth world title, a consecutive victory, Max Verstappen leading the charge, Perez’s race was riddled with misfortune, and he laid the blame squarely on his tire’s lack of grip.

The Japanese GP started in chaos for Perez, as he collided with Lewis Hamilton on the first lap, causing significant damage to his car. This incident set the stage for a race filled with adversity. Both the cars suffered physical damage. However, Hamilton’s damage meant he had to carry on despite losing downforce. 

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In response to the early damage, Perez navigated into the pits to replace his front wing, a necessary move under safety car conditions. However, he was penalized with a five-second penalty for disregarding safety car precautions. Perez shared his tale of woe with Fox Sports Mexico by recounting, “Since I released the clutch, I started to spin, the tires got quite cold, we miscalculated the temperature, and I didn’t have any traction.”

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Following the penalty, Perez found himself at the back of the pack and resolved to claw his way up the field. His determination led to an attempt to overtake Kevin Magnussen, but the endeavor took a turn for the worse. Perez and Magnussen collided, sending the Haas driver spinning. In the aftermath, Perez’s car sustained further wing damage, necessitating another pit stop.

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Sergio Perez admits the crash with Kevin Magnussen was all his fault 

However, Perez admitted to the mistake, saying it was all his fault. He further explained his move, saying, “My car was damaged and it was very difficult to continue in the fast corner, I knew I had to try it in the slow corner and when I got into it I had no more space, I touched Magnussen and it was totally my fault.”

Sergio Perez and Kevin Magnussen's crash
Sergio Perez and Kevin Magnussen’s crash (Credits: Racefans.net)

Adding to Perez’s woes, he incurred a ten-second time penalty due to the Magnussen collision, exacerbating his race difficulties. The ongoing damage inflicted on his car forced him into the pits for another unwelcome stop. The nightmarish race ultimately culminated in Perez’s retirement, as the extensive car damage proved insurmountable.

The Mexican rejoined the track on lap 26 to serve the 10-second penalty he had hanging over his head. This was a strategic move by Red Bull to avoid a penalty carryover into the next race in Qatar. While this seemed perplexing to many, he wasn’t aware of any penalties and retired once he served his penalty. 

As Perez reflected on his race, he pointed to the cold tires as a pivotal factor in his troubles. Despite the frustrations, he remained committed to giving his all for the team, even on days when victory seemed out of reach. Perez is now in touching distance to Hamilton and might face a challenge for the runner-up spot in the upcoming races. 

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