Kravitz is convinced: 'That's why Verstappen is better with the RB20 than Perez'
Red Bull Contentpool
F1 News
Although very fast, Sergio Perez's second pit stop at the Chinese Grand Prix pushed him back slightly. The Mexican failed to regain P2 from Lando Norris on track while Max Verstappen managed to pull away from the McLaren by 13.7 seconds. Ted Kravitz thinks he knows why Verstappen often succeeds, and Perez does not.
Until the first safety car, Perez seemed on his way to an easy second place in Shanghai. The safety car gave Norris and Charles Leclerc an advantage in terms of strategy, as neither driver had been in for a pit stop until the [initially] virtual safety car. This meant that after his own pit stop, Verstappen's Mexican teammate suddenly had to hook up behind Leclerc, who was on P3. When Perez passed the Monegasque, he had to make up a gap of more than five seconds to Norris, but failed to do so.
Kravitz said on his own Ted's Notebook programme on Sky Sports: "Maybe it was the dirty air, maybe it was the hard tyre. Or maybe it was Lando [Norris] driving brilliantly, which undoubtedly it was. When you consider Max finished 13.7 seconds ahead of Lando, it's a valid question for Marko as to why Perez wasn't able to close and overtake the McLaren in the same car."
Kravitz: 'RB20 is built around Verstappen'
Still, Kravitz has an explanation: "There is also no doubt that the RB20 is built around Verstappen. That we know. It's better for Perez this year than it has been previously, but the way this car is designed to be on the nose and the slightest steering wheel input and it starts moving at the front. It's so grippy at the front in a way Verstappen loves. A driver with a more standard driving style, things what is happening here."