Sergio Pérez outshone Max Verstappen in Azerbaijan, taking fourth in qualifying while Verstappen battled severe bouncing issues, leaving Red Bull searching for solutions ahead of the race.
Sergio Pérez secured the fourth-fastest time in qualifying for the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, earning a spot on the second row at a circuit he favours. The Red Bull driver outpaced Max Verstappen for the first time this season, though he expressed frustration at not achieving a better result.
“I’m a bit disappointed because I think second place was within reach with a perfect lap,” admitted Pérez. “I had a very strong second sector, but I was missing a tenth and a half. Ferrari were in a league of their own, but we’ll see tomorrow. We have a different philosophy compared to others, so let’s see what we can do.”
“We’ll see tomorrow. I should be strong on the first stint, and it will depend on the progress I can make. We’ll keep our heads down, and it will be crucial to be strong in the race.”
For the first time this season, Verstappen was outclassed by his teammate. The Dutchman reflected on his result after the session.
“I already knew after the first run in Q1 that it was going to be tough. Some changes to the car made things very difficult. There was a lot of bouncing at the rear, so every time I entered and exited a corner, the car was bouncing hard.”
“That made things really challenging. Q2 went relatively well, but in the car, it already didn’t feel right. I couldn’t optimise my mid-corner speed. I also had a bit too much understeer, which is not ideal on a street circuit.”
“Q3 should have been better, of course, but in that first run, I made a small mistake in the final corner. That’s where the car went off in the wrong direction. On the next run, I still had a lot of bouncing. And when you’re not completely comfortable with that, you can’t push.”
“We adjusted some things, and I think I know where the issue comes from. It’s disappointing. Of course, you’re always trying to get the most out of it. It’s not like I felt down or anything in the car, but I knew it was going to be tough.”
Verstappen also expressed limited confidence in Red Bull’s race pace.
“With the current car, it doesn’t feel great, but we’ll see.”
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Perez Edges Verstappen in Baku as Red Bull Faces Struggles Perez Edges Verstappen in Baku as Red Bull Faces Struggles
