Racing Points Sergio rallies from back of the grid to win maiden F1 GP; pitstop mix-up and puncture deny Mercedes debutant George Russell podium finish
Racing Point's Sergio Perez celebrates after winning the Sakhir Grand Prix on Sunday. Pic/Getty Images
Racing Point driver Sergio Perez raced from last to his first Formula One victory after a pitstop mix-up and puncture denied super-sub George Russell an almost certain first win on his Mercedes debut at the Sakhir Grand Prix on Sunday.
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Perez, who found himself at the back of the field at the end of the first lap after contact with Ferrari's Charles Leclerc, crossed the line 10.5 seconds ahead of Renault's Esteban Ocon. His Racing Point teammate Lance Stroll was third.
Russell, parachuted in to replace Lewis Hamilton after the seven times world champion tested positive for COVID-19, looked comfortably in control having wrested the lead from his pole-sitting teammate at the first corner.
But the pitstop bungle, which also cost teammate Valtteri Bottas, and then a puncture put paid to his chances.
"I'm speechless," Perez, who is out of a drive at the end of the season and hoping to land the seat alongside Max Verstappen at Red Bull, said after the race.
"I don't know what to say, after the first lap, the race was gone. But we just didn't give up.
Perez, who vaulted to fourth in the overall standings after Sunday's race, is the first Mexican driver to win a race since Pedro Rodriguez in 1970.
It was also Silverstone-based Racing Point's first win since the 2003 Brazilian Grand Prix with Giancarlo Fisichella under the Jordan name.
Perez is now the season's second first time winner with Pierre Gasly winning at Monza for AlphaTauri.
But that honour for much of the race seemed destined to fall to Russell.
The Briton seemed to easily have the measure of Bottas who appeared to be his only real challenger after Leclerc and Verstappen crashed out on the opening lap.
Contact with Perez broke Leclerc's suspension while Verstappen, trying to avoid them, ran off the track and into the barriers.
But hopes of a fairytale first win for the Briton, who otherwise drives for back of the grid Williams, were dashed on the 62nd of 87 laps.
Mercedes brought both Russell and Bottas into the pits together in a 'double-stack' under the safety car.
But they fitted some of Bottas' tyres onto Russell's car forcing him back into the pits a lap later.
That dropped Russell behind Bottas despite a slow stop for the Finn but the 22-year-old barged past the four-year Mercedes veteran with a bold move at the restart for fourth.
Three laps later he was past Ocon for second and chasing Perez when a puncture forced him to pit for a fourth time, finally putting paid to any chance he might have had.
Nevertheless, voted driver of the day, he charged back through the field to score his first Formula One career points with ninth, one place behind Bottas. He also took the point on offer for fastest lap.
"Obviously, on the one hand incredibly disappointed and gutted to miss out on a victory not only once but twice it went away from us."
With the top runners either crashing out or making mistakes, the race was wide open for the midfield drivers.
Carlos Sainz capitalised with fourth for McLaren ahead of Renault's Daniel Ricciardo.
Alexander Albon, who Red Bull are considering replacing with Perez, was sixth.
Daniil Kvyat took seventh ahead of Bottas in eighth.
Lando Norris in the other McLaren rounded out the top ten.
Formula One now heads to Abu Dhabi for the finale of its 17-race season. Whether Russell will get another shot at Mercedes will depend on whether Hamilton recovers and can make it to the race.
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