Sergio Perez blamed his SQ1 elimination at the Qatar Grand Prix on a late-race battle with Charles Leclerc, missing the cut by just 0.013 seconds.

The Red Bull driver encountered issues with his anti-roll bar and timing, leading to a crucial fight with Leclerc into Turn 1 on his final qualifying attempt. "We lost a couple of tenths there," Perez explained, noting the team had made significant progress with the car from P1 to qualifying.

Starting 16th in a Sprint race without pit stops, Perez acknowledged the difficulty of scoring points, with only the top eight finishers eligible for points. "In such a short race I don't think there will be a lot that we can do," he admitted.

Meanwhile, newly crowned world champion Max Verstappen also struggled, qualifying sixth for the Sprint. The Dutch driver cited balance issues and lack of pace as main concerns, particularly in entry to mid-corner sections. "The very high speed is OK, but everything else is not OK," Verstappen stated, expressing doubt about significant improvements for the upcoming sessions.

Both Red Bull drivers face an uphill battle in the Sprint race, with Verstappen expecting challenges competing against nearby cars due to his car's balance issues, and Perez focusing on strategy for the remainder of the race weekend.

Related Articles

Previous Articles