Strategic miscalculation cost Perez dearly; Racing Point explains
F1 News
- GPblog.com
Sergio Perez looked like he could have got on the podium after Max Verstappen's failure. However, during the safety car phase the Racing Point team chose to follow the example of Mercedes and change to a new set of soft tyres. A decision that cost them dearly.
Unlike the Mercedes drivers, Perez did lose several positions on the track and, as the course of the race indicated, it was difficult to regain those positions, even on a set of new tyres. That didn't work out at all in the end, but then why did Racing Point choose this strategy?
Low tyre temperature turned out to be no problem for other teams
To Auto Motor und Sport technical director Andy Green explains that it was indeed a 'difficult decision', but one that was dictated by the temperature of the tyres. "We were afraid we wouldn't get the hard tyres up to temperature quickly enough."
That was not only because of the low temperatures in Imola but also because of the team's decision to adjust the car so that tyres could last as long as possible. "It, therefore, seemed to us the safest option to go for the soft tyre, also because we thought our direct competitors would do the same."