Perez earned a five-second penalty for clashing with Lando Norris at Turn 6, where the Red Bull driver appeared to block off the corner to stop Norris from turning in.
This ensured a frantic showdown between Russell, Perez, and Charles Leclerc - who was hoping to deliver a swing in the constructors' championship to help Ferrari beat Mercedes.
Leclerc hoped to help Perez claim third in the race, and let the Mexican through with the intent to help him build enough of a gap ahead of Russell to cover off the penalty. It proved to be in vain as Perez was 1.1s short, which decided the constructors' championship in Mercedes' favour for second over Ferrari.
Russell admitted the incident had been a lucky break for Mercedes, but that it was fair on balance given his own poor luck at times.
"Yeah, it was a great weekend. I'm really pleased to finish on this high because it's been a really challenging season," Russell said.
"It's been a difficult one as a team, but on a personal side, just not getting the results that we probably deserve. The pace has been really strong on so many occasions, but just results kept on slipping through our fingers.
"Lady Luck was maybe on our side slightly today with Checo's penalty, but I think that more than made up for the other races this year."
Source: Autosport