After an action-packed opening salvo, the Interlagos race fell into a mid-race slumber, nevertheless it was revived a couple of laps earlier than the top by a knife-edge duel between Crimson Bull driver Perez and Alonso’s Aston Martin.
After hounding Alonso for third place by way of the third stint, Perez lastly discovered a well past in Flip 1 into the penultimate lap.
However regardless of the Spaniard believing his podium chance was gone, he opportunistically took benefit of Perez going deep into Flip 1 on the ultimate tour, gaining the momentum to draft previous the Mexican into Flip 4.
Perez virtually repassed Alonso in a drag race in direction of the end, however Alonso held on to clinch his and Aston Martin’s first podium in seven races by 0.053s.
Regardless of Perez’s personal wait for one more podium extending to 6 grands prix, he was upbeat after what he known as a tough however truthful battle with Alonso, which he felt was solely potential with “only a few” drivers on the grid.
“It took me some time to get by way of the Mercedes and principally that broken my race,” Perez recounted his race.
“After that we have been at all times a bit on the backfoot with Fernando and we have been chipping away in direction of the top. We got here actually near get to the rostrum.
Photograph by: Andy Hone / Motorsport Images
Lando Norris, McLaren, 2nd place, the Crimson Bull trophy delegate, Max Verstappen, Crimson Bull Racing, 1st place, and Fernando Alonso, Aston Martin F1 Staff, third place, on the rostrum
“However I’ve to say effectively accomplished to Fernando, as a result of it was nice battle. Particularly reasonable racing.
“And that is actually good, as a result of how onerous we race one another with at all times a number of room, I feel with only a few drivers, you are able to do this on the grid.
“You realize that Fernando will at all times attempt to play any recreation, however he’ll at all times be truthful. It was nice racing. I feel whoever acquired the rostrum was effectively deserved, and he acquired it.
He added: “I do not assume I may have accomplished something otherwise. I’d have preferred to be on the rostrum, it hurts shedding, however I am glad for Fernando as a result of he did good race.”
Perez prolonged his lead over Lewis Hamilton within the battle for second within the drivers’ championship from 20 to 32 factors.
Regardless of his disastrous Flip 1 crash in his Mexico house race and a misplaced podium in Sao Paulo, he feels he is lastly beginning to flip the nook after a confidence sapping spell that raised recent questions over his Crimson Bull future.
“Undoubtedly,” he stated. “I feel after Qatar after I went again to the crew [in Milton Keynes], we understood a number of issues we have been doing fallacious.
“In Austin we have been compromised a bit, however since then even Mexico was fairly good. I went off, however I used to be very near the lead. So all in all, I feel we’re actually making good progress.
“The tempo has been there for the previous few weekends, however for some purpose or one other, we’ve not been capable of put all of it collectively. I feel it is only a matter of time earlier than it’ll come.”
Extra reporting by Adam Cooper