Steering wheel issue caused Hulkenberg clash, says Perez

Competing within sight of their factory and with plenty of staff in attendance, Racing Point had hoped to turn their run of bad luck around at Silverstone, and in the early running Sergio Perez looked to be in the mix for points. But ultimately the team made the short trip home with a third consecutive non-score, with Perez’s race wrecked by contact with Nico Hulkenberg which was attributed to a faulty steering wheel.

The contact came at the sweeping Brooklands bend and saw Perez’s Racing Point pitch into the side of the Renault. The Mexican lost his front wing and was forced to pit as he fell down the order to a seventeenth place finish.

“During the safety car period I [had] an issue with the steering wheel," said Perez. “My brake balance [ended] up massively forwards, I couldn't stop the car and then I end up hitting Nico. So it was ruined with the safety car, with the issue on the brakes.”

The result is Perez’s worst result of the season and is only the second time he has been beaten by team mate Lance Stroll in 2019, the Canadian finishing P13. The Mexican has now failed to get a point since Azerbaijan as Racing Point’s miserable run continues.

The team looked to have potentially turned a corner on Friday after Perez’s encouraging pace but could not keep that form into the weekend. But the Safety Car period is where Racing Point lost out the most, as their midfield rivals made vital stops and prevented the team from making their favoured one-stop strategy work.

Perez said: “We were very unlucky today. The first stint was very strong - I was managing my race, looking after the tyres and we were on course to score some points. Then, the Safety Car came out just after I had pitted and that’s what ruined my race.”

The RP19 is set for a major upgrade ahead of the next race in Germany which the team have high expectations it will bring them closer to their midfield rivals.

Racing Point currently lie seventh in the constructors' standings with 19 points, tied with Toro Rosso who sit eighth in the table.