Ferrari's Leclerc overtook Perez at the turn 14 in the action packed inaugural race's final lap to grab second, with Perez's Red Bull teammate Max Verstappen storming to his 18th victory of the season.
Finishing the race at all was of a win for Perez, who pitted on the opening lap after colliding with Valtteri Bottas in the turn one bottleneck, damaging his front wing.
"It started really difficult with a lot of damage," Perez said.
"Initially we broke the front wing, so we basically went all the way to the back of the grid. And then progressively we were passing one-by-one and things were going well.
We had really strong pace on that first stint, so we put ourselves back in contention. Then with the Safety Car, that brought us into the race."
Perez said the race, which had been critiqued by some as too disruptive to the bustling city and lacking in drama given that Verstappen had already secured the season crown, was a success.
"It was good for racing," he said.
"It was not easy to pull away from the people behind. And it's a little like Baku, being the lead car makes life a little bit harder for you out there. So I think it did deliver."
The F1 season now shifts to its final event of the year with the November 24-26 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.
