Force India's Perez rues 'costly' first lap incident

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A first lap incident compromised Sergio Perez's Brazilian Grand Prix and left the Force India driver chasing for the remainder of the afternoon.

The Mexican launched his race from P5 on the grid, a 'best-of-the-rest' position he was hoping to capitalise on from the outset.

To no avail unfortunately after a fast moving Fernando Alonso forced Perez wide at Turn 2.

"Things got quite complicated on lap one when Alonso pushed me wide at turn two. I was on the grass and lost another position to Massa," he said.

"That was very costly for my race because I spent the whole afternoon trying to recover. "

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Perez's efforts took their toll on his Force India's tyres thereafter.

"We certainly had the pace to finish in seventh, but the very high track temperatures made things difficult because as soon as you tried to attack you suffered with massive tyre degradation," he added.

"We tried to change our strategy to overcome things, but it wasn’t enough to recover the seventh place. In the final few laps I was very close to Massa and Alonso.

"Massa was quick in the final sector, while Alonso was fast through sector two and had the benefit of DRS to help him defend down the straights.

"Maybe if there had been one more lap it would have been enough to overtake them. Considering the way things unfolded, I’m happy with the result but not totally satisfied."

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Phillip van Osten

Motor racing was a backdrop from the outset in Phillip van Osten's life. Born in Southern California, Phillip grew up with the sights and sounds of fast cars thanks to his father, Dick van Osten, an editor and writer for Auto Speed and Sport and Motor Trend. Phillip's passion for racing grew even more when his family moved to Europe and he became acquainted with the extraordinary world of Grand Prix racing. He was an early contributor to the monthly French F1i Magazine, often providing a historic or business perspective on Formula 1's affairs. In 2012, he co-authored along with fellow journalist Pierre Van Vliet the English-language adaptation of a limited edition book devoted to the great Belgian driver Jacky Ickx. He also authored "The American Legacy in Formula 1", a book which recounts the trials and tribulations of American drivers in Grand Prix racing. Phillip is also a commentator for Belgian broadcaster Be.TV for the US Indycar series.