Sergio Perez gives ‘total disaster’ admission amid Singapore GP struggles

Red Bull driver Sergio Perez admitted that being stuck behind the Haas of Nico Hulkenberg was a “total disaster” for his Singapore Grand Prix on Sunday.

The Red Bull driver brought home a solitary point after qualifying 13th on Saturday, but spent much of his night caught behind the Haas driver and struggling to get by.

Sergio Perez: Not clearing Nico Hulkenberg ‘total disaster’ in Singapore Grand Prix

Perez was knocked out of qualifying at the Q2 stage earlier in the weekend, and with the Marina Bay layout difficult for overtaking – albeit not impossible – making inroads into the points was always going to be a challenge.

He and Fernando Alonso were in a train behind the Haas driver for the early part of the race and, while Alonso was able to undercut Hulkenberg in the pit lane, Perez was caught behind him until the chequered flag, leaving him 10th at the end of the race.

With overtaking chances hard to come by, the Red Bull driver described his evening as a “painful” one.

When asked if he felt he got the most he could out of his race, Perez told reporters in Singapore: “I think so. I think we had a pretty good lap one, but unfortunately we didn’t capitalise on it.

Analysis: Singapore Grand Prix

? Singapore Grand Prix conclusions: Daniel Ricciardo Red Bull return theory and more

? Singapore GP data: How Daniel Ricciardo denied Lando Norris a maiden Grand Chelem

“Unfortunately, Carlos [Sainz] did the undercut on us and, looking at it, I think given how difficult it was to overtake today, we really needed to be a little bit further ahead.

“It was a total disaster to be behind Nico for the entire race. That was quite a painful afternoon.”

Given the Red Bull has struggled with balance recently, Perez felt there has been improvement in that area of late, but the unfortunate part of his weekend came by not placing his car as high up as it should have been in qualifying.

“I think we balanced it out a little bit better,” he said of how his car felt to drive.

“I think it’s a shame, really, that we just qualified so far out of position.

“We know what things we did wrong, and we’ve got to go to come back and hopefully in Austin, I think it’s where we can show our true pace, because the car should be a lot better in a more standard circuit.”

Read next: Martin Brundle hits out at ‘churlish’ Max Verstappen FIA boycott situation