Verstappen: Perez "took himself out" in opening lap clash
Max Verstappen says Sergio Perez "took himself out" during their early clash in the Formula 1 Portuguese Grand Prix, with the Red Bull driver calling the opening lap a "disaster".

Low grip conditions left a number of drivers starting on the harder compounds dropping back on the opening lap in Portimao as they struggled to get their tyres up to temperature.
Verstappen ran as high as second at Turn 1 after passing Valtteri Bottas, only for the Mercedes driver to fight back and force the Dutchman wide at Turn 3, allowing Perez to close up.
Perez tried to pass Verstappen around the outside of Turn 4, only for the two drivers to make contact. It sent Perez into a spin that dropped him to the back of the field, while Verstappen was able to continue without damage.
The stewards noted the incident but felt that no investigation was necessary. Verstappen went on to finish the race third for Red Bull, while Perez recovered to seventh.
"It was quite eventful, the first two laps," Verstappen said. "The start itself was quite OK, I had a good draft and down to Turn 1, it was quite low grip, so I had to go a little bit wide. It was so hectic, the first lap.
"At Turn 3 I had to go a bit wide, and I think I was behind Lewis, but I had Sergio next to me. He was going around the outside of Turn 4, but then he just didn't leave enough space, so basically he just took himself out while I was driving on the normal line.
"Luckily I had no damage, but then of course you lose a bit of momentum."
Read Also:
Verstappen was left struggling to get his soft tyres up to temperature, allowing the McLaren pair of Carlos Sainz and Lando Norris to both overtake him.
"It was a disaster, I had no grip, and suddenly those McLarens were flying," Verstappen said.
"They were absolutely flying. I lost positions to them, but I didn't want to risk too much, because normally they are not the ones who we fight against in the race. Clearly the first lap they were unbelievable. I tried to stay out of trouble a bit, tried to settle down."
Verstappen was left trailing the Mercedes pair of Bottas and Hamilton once his tyres had got up to temperature and he had picked off both McLarens.
Tyre struggles continued towards the end of his first stint on the softs, and windy conditions also made it difficult for Verstappen to get into a groove with his mediums for the second stint.
"I got back into P3 and quite quickly my left front tyre died, so a lot of graining, so I had to box," Verstappen said.
"Once I put on the mediums it was fine, I think the pace wasn't too bad. It took a few laps to settle in, but also the wind lap to lap was changing quite a lot. One time you would go into a corner it was fine, the next lap you would have oversteer. So that also didn't make it easy to get settled in.
"But once the tyres were up to temperature, pace was good, then I just pulled away from the cars behind and I could do my own race.
"Of course, [Mercedes] were a bit too far away from that point onwards. But yeah, quite eventful in the beginning, and of course still happy to be here [in the top three]."
Related video

Previous article
Perez close to penalty after reprimand for Gasly move
Next article
Norris says Stroll "doesn't seem to learn" after clash

About this article
Series | Formula 1 |
Event | Portuguese GP |
Drivers | Sergio Perez , Max Verstappen |
Author | Luke Smith |
Verstappen: Perez "took himself out" in opening lap clash
Trending
How Ferrari plans to recover from its 2020 F1 nightmare
The 2020 Formula 1 season was Ferrari's worst for 40 years as it slumped to sixth in the standings. A repeat performance will not be acceptable for the proud Italian team, which has adopted a notably pragmatic approach to forging its path back to the top
Why Aston Martin’s arrival is more than just new green livery
In the most eagerly anticipated Formula 1 team launch of the season, the rebranded Aston Martin squad’s changes go much further than the striking paint job. But rather than a restart, the team hopes to build on top of solid foundations.
The car Aston Martin begins its new F1 journey with
The team formerly known as Racing Point gambled successfully on a Mercedes look-alike in 2020 as it mounted a strong challenge for third in the constructors' race and won the Sakhir GP. Now clothed in British racing green, Aston Martin's first Formula 1 challenger since 1960 provides the clearest indicator yet of what to expect from the new-for-2021 regulations
The tricky driver conundrums facing Mercedes in F1 2021
Ahead of the new Formula 1 season, reigning world champions Mercedes will take on challenges both old and new. This also can be said for its driver conundrum which could become key to sustaining its ongoing success...
How Alpine's cure to 2021 F1 rules starts at the front
A new name, new faces and new colours pulls the rebranded Alpine Formula 1 team into a new era while carrying over core elements of its 2020 car. But under the surface there's more than meets the eye with the A521 which hints at how the team will tackle 2021...
Can Mercedes' W12 retain the team's crown?
Replacing Formula 1's fastest car was never going to be an easy feat for Mercedes. Amid the technical rule tweaks to peg back the W12 and its 2021 rivals, the new Mercedes challenger will remain the target to beat
The pointed note that starts Ferrari's Leclerc vs Sainz era
Ferrari is starting its post-Sebastian Vettel age by welcoming Carlos Sainz in alongside Charles Leclerc. But while Sainz has a tough challenge to match his new teammate, Ferrari is also sending a message that previous intra-team spats must end
The mantra Ocon must follow to challenge Alonso at Alpine
OPINION: It's been an uneasy ride for Esteban Ocon since his F1 comeback - and fresh challenges lie in wait as he's joined by double world champion Fernando Alonso in the newly rebranded Alpine team. STUART CODLING sets out a roadmap to success…