For the second consecutive week, Perez achieved exactly what Red Bull demanded of him, which was to secure second place behind his teammate, Max Verstappen.
Although Charles Leclerc outperformed Perez in qualifying, the latter wasted no time in correcting the situation and quickly overtook the Ferrari driver at the start of the race.
Perez’s only concern was a five-second penalty for an unsafe release at the pit exit, but he managed to establish a significant advantage over Leclerc, neutralizing the penalty.
Reflecting on his performance in the post-race interview with Red Bull, Perez stated: “Unfortunately, the early safety car significantly affected our race. I lost valuable time dealing with Lando and Lewis in traffic, approximately seven to eight seconds.”
He continued: “We needed to handle this situation more efficiently to challenge for the win. Furthermore, it was a strong race and performance. I really believe we made the progress I was hoping for this weekend, getting closer to the desired position.”
The Safety Car was deployed after Lance Stroll of Aston Martin crashed his AMR24 at turn 22. Although this put Perez at a disadvantage, requiring him to make an early pitstop, he was not able to pose a threat to Verstappen for the win. Verstappen was operating at a higher level, leading the race and managing the pace superbly.
Perez acknowledged Verstappen’s exceptional performance, stating: “Max is driving at an incredibly high level, and I believe he is the only driver who has maximized qualifying and the race so far this season. It’s fantastic because I have the ultimate challenge in him. I need to keep improving every weekend.”
In addition, Perez expressed caution regarding Ferrari, predicting that they will pose a greater challenge in upcoming circuits. He warned: “Ferrari has speed, and I foresee there will be tracks where they will be much closer to us. Maybe they have not fully maximized their potential today, while we have. Now, my sole focus is on Melbourne and building upon our achievements here in Jeddah,” concluded the Red Bull driver.
BACK-TO-BACK 1-2 VICTORY!! 🏆🏆 @SChecoPerez secures second place! #F1 || #SaudiArabiaGP pic.twitter.com/qMBaiLTUNf
— Oracle Red Bull Racing (@redbullracing) March 9, 2024
