Sergio Perez was very happy after the 2023 Las Vegas Grand Prix, and the Red Bull driver really had a reason to celebrate.
After not standing on the podium since the 2023 Italian Grand Prix, the Mexican driver has finally secured a podium in Las Vegas, when he finished third behind his teammate Max Verstappen and Ferrari's Charles Leclerc.
Still, it could have been a one-two for Red Bull Racing, as the Mexican driver was overtaken in the last lap of the race. Yet, despite failing to get the one-two in the race, the team got it in the F1 World Drivers' Championship.
Max Verstappen's third World title has been secured for quite some time, and so has the team's World Constructors' Championship. The only goal left for the 2023 season was second place in the Drivers' Championship.
After finishing third at the 2023 Las Vegas Grand Prix and Mercedes' Lewis Hamilton placing only seventh, Perez has created a gap that will be unreachable for the British driver at the last race of the season - the 2023 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.
With 273 points, Perez has secured his first-ever second-place finish in the Drivers' Championship, after he missed out on the spot last year only by three points to Ferrari's Charles Leclerc.
This year, no one will be able to take it from his as Hamilton in second has 232 points, 41 less than the Mexican driver, with only 26 more points on offer for winning the 2023 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix and getting one additional point for the fastest lap.
After the Las Vegas Grand Prix, which finished with double podium and secured one-two in the Drivers' Championship for Red Bull, the Mexican driver reflected on their success.
"What a great comeback! We were close to winning, but we had too much downforce which reduced our top speed. Great job by Max and Charles. I'm very happy to have secured the runner-up spot after such a tough season."
Perez called finishing first and second in the Drivers' Championship "a historic result" as the team never managed to achieve that before.
"This is a historic result for the team, the first 1-2 finish in its history. Well-deserved for all the hard work of everyone on the track and in Milton Keynes. To the fans and my family, thank you for all your support."
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