Ferrari driver Leclerc and McLaren’s Lando Norris had delayed their first pitstop in Shanghai and have been capable of convert to a one-stop below a mid-race security automotive, deployed to recuperate Valtteri Bottas’ stricken Sauber.
Perez and team-mate Max Verstappen had already made a inexperienced flag pitstop earlier and have been pressured in a second time so they might get to the tip on laborious tyres.
Verstappen’s ferocious tempo meant he was capable of hold his lead, however Perez got here out behind Norris and Leclerc.
In accordance with the Mexican, having to make use of his laborious tyres to go Leclerc meant he ran out of tyre life to catch and go Norris, who comfortably cut up the 2 Purple Bulls on the end.
“At that time, the hole was already fairly huge and given how good his tempo was on a primary stint when it comes to degradation I knew it was going to be shut,” Perez stated after ending six seconds behind Norris and 19 behind Verstappen.
“We principally had the identical tempo. When you go by the automotive forward and also you cease combating for I do not know what number of laps we ended up combating between Charles and myself, then it is actually recreation over.
“You utilize a lot of your tyre. You set a lot vitality into them that they by no means actually come again. It is fairly a high-degradation place and I paid the worth.
Sergio Perez, Purple Bull Racing RB20, third place, arrives in Parc Ferme
Photograph by: Steven Tee / Motorsport Images
“However that was the one approach I may get by Charles as a result of we have been clearly on the similar tyre age and it was actually troublesome to get by.”
Group principal Horner agreed with the Mexican that the timing of the security automotive scuppered Purple Bull’s probabilities of one other one-two end, with Perez between six and 9 tenths slower than his world champion team-mate in clear air after passing Leclerc.
“The security automotive got here out at simply the unsuitable time. We successfully needed to convert to the identical technique as them for the second half of the race, which price Checo observe place,” Horner declared.
“He dropped behind Lando and Charles and I believe he was most likely pushing laborious to go Charles.
“He possibly took an excessive amount of out of the tyre at that time, which then did not go away him sufficient to have a go at Charles on the finish. I believe with out the security automotive it might have been a one-two.”