Red Bull dismiss Perez investigation as "a non-issue" after "drive of his career"

Singapore GP

Red Bull dismiss Perez investigation as "a non-issue" after "drive of his career"

Mexican facing alleged safety car breach

Ian Parkes

Sunday 2 October 2022 18:04

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Red Bull team principal Christian Horner has dismissed the investigation surrounding Sergio Perez as "a non-issue" after hailing his Singapore Grand Prix triumph as "the best drive of his career".

Perez made a crucial move off the line at the Marina Bay Street Circuit to pass polesitter Charles Leclerc into turn one, and then through two full safety car periods, three VSCs, changing on-track conditions and pressure late on from the Ferrari driver, he held on for his fourth F1 victory.

But Perez has to wait to celebrate fully as he is facing the stewards for a safety car infringement for not keeping within 10 lengths.

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Speaking on Sky Sports F1, though, Horner said: "We could probably pull up over the last 10 years a whole bunch of precedents for this kind of stuff - formation laps, safety car laps, drivers behind further down the queue.

"There are so many precedents. For us, it's a non-issue. They asked us to close up, we closed up immediately.

"The safety car was going super slow to try and bunch the field. You could see how much sparking from the cars there was at the restart.

"On a damp track, slick tyres, you're saying 'Come on! You've picked me up'. Everybody else is driving flat out so he needed a bit of temperature in the tyres."

Perez delivers "world-class" performance

Reflecting on the triumph overall, Horner added: "That is without a shadow of a doubt the best drive of his career.

"Tricky conditions, he nailed the start, he converted the start, he settled himself into the race, looked after those intermediate tyres, safety cars coming and going, restarts, and he was always in control. Super cool.

"Then obviously the crossover onto the slicks, getting them going as well, but he just couldn't shake off Charles who kept having the benefit of the DRS.

"They were throwing everything at it, but one wobble from Charles gave him that one-second break and then he was able to find his stride. A massive, massive result for him, super proud of him.

"It was world-class, that's right up there, for sure, his best victory, surpasses his Monaco victory, and under massive pressure.

"He has gone out and delivered and super, super proud of him. He's done a wonderful job."