The McLaren driver said at Mugello that he is “a little angry” about the way Perez alleges he was given little notice that his 2021 contract would be cancelled to make way for Sebastian Vettel. Sainz, who is moving to Ferrari next year to replace Vettel, said the Perez story highlights how Formula 1 is “not always about performance”. “If it was about performance, there would be no reason why Racing Point should no longer want him,” he said. “Perez certainly didn’t do a bad job at Racing Point,” said the Red Bull driver, adding that Aston Martin was ultimately “the only option” for Vettel.

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