Ferrari driver Leclerc and McLaren’s Lando Norris had delayed their first pitstop in Shanghai and had been capable of convert to a one-stop below a mid-race security automotive, deployed to get better Valtteri Bottas’ stricken Sauber.
Perez and team-mate Max Verstappen had already made a inexperienced flag pitstop earlier and had been compelled in a second time so they may get to the tip on exhausting tyres.
Verstappen’s ferocious tempo meant he was capable of preserve his lead, however Perez got here out behind Norris and Leclerc.
In line with the Mexican, having to make use of his exhausting tyres to cross Leclerc meant he ran out of tyre life to catch and cross Norris, who comfortably break up the 2 Purple Bulls on the end.
“At that time, the hole was already fairly massive 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 preventing for I do not know what number of laps we ended up preventing between Charles and myself, then it is actually sport over.
“You employ a lot of your tyre. You place a lot power into them that they by no means actually come again. It is fairly a high-degradation place and I paid the value.
Sergio Perez, Purple Bull Racing RB20, third place, arrives in Parc Ferme
Photograph by: Steven Tee / Motorsport Images
“However that was the one method I might get by Charles as a result of we had been clearly on the identical tyre age and it was actually tough to get by.”
Staff principal Horner agreed with the Mexican that the timing of the protection 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 protection 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 monitor place,” Horner declared.
“He dropped behind Lando and Charles and I feel he was most likely pushing exhausting to cross 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 feel with out the protection automotive it will have been a one-two.”