Pérez fulfills his big dream in Sakhir after a glaring mistake by Mercedes

An incomprehensible mistake, a major Mercedes mess with the tires, opened the doors to victory for

in Sakhir.

The Mexican, relegated from the beginning to the penultimate place, took advantage of the double gift of the German mechanics, who mixed the sets of tires of

and

.

For once, fortune, so often elusive, proved favorable for Pérez, deprived of a seat in the 2021 World Cup. No one understands these designs of F1, which rewarded the Racing Point leader on a Sunday that seemed predestined to the immense talent Russell.

A last puncture relegated the young Briton to ninth place, while

and

They completed one of the most unlikely podiums in recent years.

, fourth,

was about to get

on in another of his classic races without fail, where he won five places at the start and allowed himself a couple of overtaking licenses against Bottas.

Sailing from third place, without the auspicious nod of a

following the

accident

, the McLaren driver only surrendered his flag on the last lap, when he was unable to complete the attack against Stroll.

Carlos deserved more on a Sunday dominated by whirlwinds of emotions.

Pérez's tears of joy summed up his 10 years of struggle in the Great Circus.

"I have no words," he admitted after crossing the checkered flag.

On the podium, he couldn't even open his eyes, remembering so much effort, so much stubbornness in this comeback from the back of the pack.

Nothing weighed on his initial mistake, with a tire lock that multiplied the vibrations in his Racing Point.

Lap 64

Ocon also cried over the finish line, giving Renault its third podium of the year under the watchful eye of

, his garage companion in 2021. Although among the catalog of tears, none are as bitter as Russell's, who never will forget this Sunday.

He did everything to win and left with the grief of his first two World Cup points.

The failure of his mechanics on lap 64, when nobody disputed his victory, multiplied 13 laps later, when he returned to besiege Pérez.

Until then everything flowed with amazing ease for the replacement of

, positive for Covid-19 and down in a race after 265 consecutive presences.

No one could question the substitute's talent, no matter how much mechanical superiority Mercedes boasts.

He was the best on the tarmac since the lights went out.

Max Verstappen

, yearning for his first win since August, needed an aggressive start, with the soft tire through the clean zone.

His plans, however, were lost down the drain on four corners, when

miscalculated braking and took Perez ahead.

At that critical moment, the Dutchman continued to accelerate in the escape route until he hit the wall.

Verstappen and Leclerc chatted about their respective mistakes while Russell led easily.

From his garage they begged him not to rest the car on the hard shoulders, to take care of the flat bottom and the most sensitive aerodynamic parts.

In short, to keep calm with the same confidence with which in the first corner he had drawn the knife to a stunned Bottas.

8.5 seconds over Bottas

In every detail Russell's superiority was perceived, never taking refuge in the degradation of the tires, without losing his composure when a faulty sensor warned about a lack of power in his engine.

On lap 45 he mounted the hard tires, while Bottas took four more laps.

When they both rejoined, Russell's lead was 8.5 seconds.

On lap 29 Sainz entered the pits for the first time.

His mechanics fitted the medium tires in just 2.5 seconds, but released the car just as

approached

.

The shadow of the

, which would have ruined the dreams of the Madrilenian, dissolved without really knowing how.

Of all the strategies, the one that worked best was the

, as first demonstrated by

to

and later by Ocon against Stroll.

Renault was able to sustain itself thanks to the Frenchman, who has been gaining in confidence for four weeks.

In a closing not suitable for hesitation, he knew how to contain the rest of the favorites.

His one-stop strategy, modeled after Stroll's, cleared his way to the podium.

In the same way that Russell's four frustrated a triumph that should have been his.

According to the criteria of The Trust Project

Know more

• sports

• Formula 1

• Mercedes gp

• Sergio Perez

• Valtteri Bottas

• Daniel Ricciardo

• Daniil kvyat

• Mclaren

• Lewis Hamilton

• Max verstappen

Formula 1 2020Sin Hamilton also dominates Mercedes: 'pole' for Bottas ahead of Russell in his premiere

Formula 1 The obstacles that Alonso and Sainz will have to overcome: "It will be the most difficult winter"

2020 Formula 1 Carlos Sainz, brilliant in the wet: 10-place comeback that leaves McLaren third in the World Championship

See links of interest

• Last minute

• Spanish translator

• Programming

• Work calendar

• Movies Today

• Topics

• Coronavirus Spain

• Verona - Cagliari

• West Bromwich Albion - Crystal Palace

• Granada CF - Huesca

• Alcorcón - Almeria

• Parma - Benevento