Red Bull boss Christian Horner labelled the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix as Sergio Perez’s best drive in Formula 1, after he followed up pole position with victory.
Perez relinquished the lead to Fernando Alonso off the line but quickly recaptured the position and from there was never headed.
Perez was followed home by team-mate Max Verstappen, who recovered from a compromised 15th on the grid to secure Red Bull’s successive 1-2 finish.
“I would say arguably that was Checo’s best Grand Prix to be honest with you,” Horner said post-race.
“It was well managed, he had the pace, and the two guys, particularly after the safety car, were pushing flat out. So you could see the relative pace to the rest of the field at that point was remarkable
“He’s always excelled at these type of circuits. He seems happy in the car. His confidence is high.
“We’ve seen Checo deliver some really top-drawer performances. If you think back to Singapore last year, Azerbaijan, he’s always performed particularly well at. He won the Monaco Grand Prix last year as well. Street circuits are really something that he seems to relish.”
Red Bull’s start to the year has led to expectations that the title will be contested between only Verstappen and Perez.
Verstappen holds a slender one-point advantage over Perez, after snatching away the fastest lap on the last lap in Jeddah, and Horner was unconcerned by managing internal matters.
“We’ve got two very mature drivers, they worked together, they’ve worked well together previously,” said Horner.
“And we discussed the race and this scenario before the race, and said you’re free to race, but the rules of engagement are team first, and respect each other, respect the cars that you’re driving, and we want to bring him maximum points, and we’ve done that.”
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