Red Bull boss Horner lauds Perez’s Singapore win as ‘best drive yet’

Sergio Perez’s Singapore Grand Prix victory was “world class” and his best drive yet in Formula One, Red Bull team boss Christian Horner said on Sunday.

With the paddock waiting on a postrace stewards’ investigation of possible safety car infringements by the Mexican, Horner played down concern about the win being taken away.

“That is without a shadow of a doubt the best drive of his career,” he told Sky Sports television.

“Tricky conditions. He’d nailed the start, converted the start, settled himself into the race. He looked after those intermediate tyres. Safety cars coming and going, restarts, and he just was always in control, supercool.

“That’s world class, that is right up there. That’s for sure his best victory. I think it even surpasses his Monaco victory and under massive pressure he’s gone out and delivered. Just super, super proud of him. He’s done a wonderful job.”

The victory, if confirmed, would be the fourth of Perez’s career and third since he joined Red Bull in 2021.

The Mexican won this year’s Monaco Grand Prix, another tight street race where the smallest of errors can carry a hefty price.

Stewards summoned Perez and Red Bull after the race, with the risk of a time penalty being imposed, and Horner said there are many precedents.

“For us, really, it’s a non-issue. They asked us to close up [behind the safety car], we closed up immediately,” he said, alluding to reports Perez had not kept within 10 car lengths of the safety car.

Perez finished with a 7.5 sec advantage over Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc, meaning that a five-second penalty would have no impact on the result.

Ferrari team boss Mattia Binotto told Sky there were two potential offences, which could mean a 10 sec penalty.

“Two infringements behind safety cars so it can be twice penalty,” said the Italian.

Reuters