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Imola rewards a great race by Checo Pérez with second place

2022-04-24T16:15:28.719Z


The Mexican Red Bull driver shines after finishing in second place, behind Verstappen, and maintains his great start to the season in Formula 1


Verstappen and Checo Pérez celebrate this Sunday at the Imola circuit (Italy). ANDREJ ISAKOVIC (AFP)

Checo Pérez has found his redemption at the Imola circuit.

A year ago, the Mexican driver had started second and finished the race in twelfth place, far from glory and with doubts in the dressing room.

This Sunday, on the same Italian track, the one from Guadalajara prevailed over the aftermath of the rain and the slippery asphalt to get on the podium in second place, behind Max Verstappen.

The day of happiness for Red Bull also meant a bitter day for Ferrari with a Sainz out of the race and a Leclerc who finished sixth after a mistake at the wheel.

Lando Norris took third place.

The start was unblemished for the Mexican.

Red Bull, who started from third place, beat Charles Leclerc to second place on the wet track.

Things were complicated for Ferrari because Norris also put pressure on him.

A little further behind, Carlos Sainz was hit by Daniel Ricciardo's car, that bowling move depriving the Spaniard of the entire race just at the start of the first lap.

The collision caused the cars to go into precautionary mode as Sainz's Ferrari was removed.

At the restart of the season, even with water on the asphalt, Verstappen and Checo Pérez made it one-two, behind them Norris and Leclerc.

The pride of Monaco was able to overcome that of McLaren in the eighth lap and had the Mexican driver in his sights to fight for second place.

Red Bull's strategy, based on logic and ranks, kept the peace between its two drivers to secure the first two places on the podium.

Verstappen took more seconds ahead of the unknown and fear of the rain.

Pérez went out to change tires on lap 19, encouraged by the rest of the teams, to take advantage of the fact that the track was already more favorable to test with lighter tires.

The Mexican changed first for the Red Bull engineers to assess the situation for Verstappen, who would also change tires.

The

Scuderia

was slow to make a decision with Leclerc and when he left again he was unable to compete against the Mexican.

The one from Jalisco had to show his teeth to defend himself from the harassment of his rival.

Leclerc, who aspires to win the world championship for the first time, was able to approach the Mexican on

lap

29 because the Mexican had to shorten the track due to the grass when he lost control of the car.

Despite the bad manoeuvre, Checo Pérez was able to fend off the red car.

That battle benefited Verstappen who became more and more leader in the race.

What the Ferrari garage did, the Red Bull garage did.

Leclerc changed tires for softer ones to endure the last 13 laps.

That caused the Mexican and the Dutchman to do the same to resist.

The 24-year-old Monegasque went on the attack to try to take second place from him.

The intensity frustrated the Ferrari driver who skidded on the asphalt and fell from third place to ninth place.

A bump for the favorite team over the weekend.

That meant a break for the Mexican, who only resolved the process in the last laps.

The one who still has a very bad time is Lewis Hamilton, stuck in 13th place and with problems to overcome his rivals.

“It was an intense fight [against Leclerc].

The most important thing was not to make mistakes in these conditions, everything was very sinuous.

We had been unlucky at the start of the season, but we deserved this”, commented Pérez after the race.

The Ferrari driver is the leader of the standings (86 points), followed by Verstappen (59) and then the Mexican (54), who already surpasses George Russell (49), from Mercedes, and Sainz (38).

Checo Pérez broadens his legacy in the world of Formula 1

The best Mexican driver in all of history, above the legend of the Rodríguez brothers, recorded the seventeenth podium in his 11-year career.

He has two wins: 2020 in Shakhir and 2021 in Baku.

In addition to five second places (Malaysia and Italy in 2012, Turkey in 2020, Australia 2022 and Imola 2022) and 10 third places (Canada in 2012, Bahrain in 2014, Russia in 2015, Monaco and Baku in 2016 and 2018, at the French, Turkish, United States and Mexico City Grand Prix in 2021).

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Source: elparis

All news articles on 2022-04-24

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