Sergio Perez’s skillset as a street circuit specialist allowed the Mexican to seize the opportunity to close the gap in the title race to just six points in Azerbaijan.
Picking up victory in the Sprint race and the Grand Prix, Perez put pressure on his teammate Max Verstappen’s quest to secure a third world championship.
Starting from pole in Miami, Perez had the chance to take the lead in the Drivers’ Standings for the first time in his career.
However, he was unable to keep Verstappen at bay, who recovered from P9 to take victory.
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Ahead of the Grand Prix, Perez revealed his plan to continue enjoying success throughout the season, as he works to understand his teammate’s weaknesses, so he can exploit them on track.
“Well obviously, when you win the race on pure pace, you’ve done better than your team-mate,” Perez told reporters in Miami.
“And I’m sure that Max and his team are going to have a look at that and make sure they understand, and that’s why it’s important from our side that we are able to understand those weaknesses.”
Despite a slow start to the weekend, Perez was able to perform when it mattered, topping the time sheet in Q3 around the Hard Rock Stadium in Miami.
Perez was lucky to avoid the chaos that hampered the closing moments of the session, having already taken the P1 spot when the Ferrari of Charles Leclerc spun into the barriers.
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Leclerc’s crash resulted in the red flags being waved, preventing Perez’s teammate Verstappen from improving his P9 position.
The Mexican was disappointed to have been unable to capitalise on this to take victory, but he remains within touching distance of Verstappen in the championship.
So far this season, Red Bull is undefeated, having taken victory in every Grand Prix and the Sprint race.