Perez on “fair” fight with Alonso: “Something a lot of drivers can learn from…”

• F1 Sao Paulo Grand Prix 2023 - Race Results from Round 20

An exciting final-lap scrap was won by Alonso by a tenth-of-a-second, earning him a podium finish in Brazil behind Max Verstappen and Lando Norris.

Despite being restricted to a last-gasp P4, it was a much-needed positive result for the Red Bull driver whose future remains the topic of discussion.

“It was quite an intense battle! We tried everything,” Perez told Sky about Alonso. 

“Unfortunately we didn’t succeed.

“It was well-deserved for Fernando. We had a great fight, very fair, to the limit. This is something a lot of drivers can learn from!

“The way we fought today was how it should be done.

“I’m on the wrong side, I ended up losing, but it’s fine because it was a great fight.”

Perez crashed out of his home race in Mexico after first-lap contact with Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc.

And his Japanese Grand Prix ended early after an incident involving Lewis Hamilton.

But in Brazil, P4 was an answer to critics who suggest he should lose his Red Bull seat in 2024.

“We’ve seen in the past couple of races that the pace has been there, that we’ve been really strong,” he said.

“For some reason, we haven’t been able to get the final result.

“I just know that it’s a matter of time.”

Aston Martin roared back into contention at the front of the grid, with Alonso on the podium and Lance Stroll fifth, for the first time since the early rounds of the year.

“They were very fast today,” Perez said. “They were good looking after their tyres.”