• Bahrain Grand Prix

Perez admits to being too aggressive with Button

Sergio Perez and Jenson Button made contact on more than one occasion during their battle © Sutton Images

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• Race:
• Bahrain Grand Prix

• Drivers:
• Sergio Perez

• Teams:
• McLaren

Sergio Perez admits he was "too aggressive" with Jenson Button during the Bahrain Grand Prix but felt his team-mate was just as robust.

The two McLarens were involved in an almost race-long battle in the points, with Perez making contact with Button's right rear tyre at one stage and the pair touching wheels at high speed a few laps later. Perez ultimately came out on top as Button was forced to pit for a fourth time but he acknowledged the two took the ability to race each other too far.

"I think today was a little bit too hard; the fight between me and Jenson," Perez said. "We touched a few times but while you are there you are just fighting and you have adrenaline. You want to take the position from your team-mate but definitely I think it was a little bit too much. Hopefully for the next race we can help each other a little bit more, but with the pace of our car and where we were we could not give any room to anyone so we were fighting really hard.

"I agree that we were too aggressive but he was as aggressive as I was. I went off the track a few times and we were just fighting. I think this is something we have to speak between me and himself to sort it out."

Reflecting on his sixth place - his best result since joining McLaren - Perez said it was the perfect result to respond to critics that he wasn't racing well enough this season.

"It was a very nice surprise for us; something which we were not really expecting. I have to thank the team; they didn't give any orders at all. We have been through a very difficult start to the season and I think this is a turnaround now, I think this is our start of the season. A very strong race, very strong pace, and we showed all the critics that we can do a good job."

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