Sergio Perez Cites Tyre Strategy as Key Factor in Missing Front Row at Japanese GP

At the Japanese Grand Prix, Red Bull’s Sergio Perez pinpointed a suboptimal tyre strategy as the main reason for his fifth-place in qualifying, falling behind his teammate Max Verstappen. Despite the setback, Perez remains hopeful for a strong race performance.

Key Takeaways:

• Sergio Perez believes that an additional set of new soft tyres in Q3 might have allowed him to join teammate Max Verstappen on the front row, indicating the significance of tyre strategy in F1 qualifying.
• Throughout the weekend at the Japanese GP, Perez admitted to struggling with the car, especially with entry stability, which left him “two steps behind” his teammate.
• Red Bull Team Principal Christian Horner acknowledged Perez’s challenges in high-speed corners compared to Verstappen but expressed confidence in Perez’s race day performance, hinting at his potential to make a strong comeback.

In the world of Formula 1, where milliseconds can separate success from disappointment, tyre strategy often plays a pivotal role. This was starkly evident in the qualifying session for the Japanese Grand Prix, where Red Bull Racing’s Sergio Perez attributed his fifth-place qualifying position to a less-than-ideal tyre strategy. Despite his teammate Max Verstappen clinching pole position with a stellar performance, Perez was left analyzing what could have been had the tyre choices been different.

In a post-qualifying interview, Perez acknowledged the gap to his teammate, stating, “Max has been very strong. I mean, when we see the difference that he is making, he’s definitely had a tremendous lap. Well done to him.” This commendation of Verstappen’s prowess, however, was coupled with Perez’s candid expression of frustration regarding the team’s tyre strategy: “Definitely the front row was in the car today because [using] that second set in Q2 was not ideal. And that put us on the back foot to the McLaren mainly by just having one set of new tyres, so that was not ideal.”

Perez’s weekend at the iconic Suzuka Circuit was not without its challenges. He shared with the F1 website, “It was hard. We did struggle through the weekend. We kind of were always two steps behind, and we just couldn’t get the entry stability I was looking to get over a single lap.” This struggle with entry stability, a critical aspect of a car’s performance, particularly at a technical track like Suzuka, underscored the Mexican driver’s difficulties.

Despite the challenges, Perez remains optimistic about his prospects in the race. He highlighted the race’s anticipated tyre degradation battle and his hopes for a Red Bull one-two finish: “But come race day, I think we are looking a lot better. I think that tomorrow is going to be such a degradation tyre battle that hopefully tomorrow we can still be able to do a one-two.”

Christian Horner, the Team Principal at Red Bull Racing, also weighed in on Perez’s performance, acknowledging his slight underperformance in high-speed turns but retaining confidence in his race pace: “He’s slightly under the car compared to Max in those high-speed turns,” Horner said. “P5 for Checo, I think he’ll have strong race pace, we saw that yesterday so I think he’ll be okay in the race.”

As the lights go out and the race begins, Perez’s ability to navigate the challenges of Suzuka and capitalize on his race pace will be crucial. The story of the Japanese Grand Prix is far from over, and Perez’s determination to overcome his qualifying setback could very well turn into a narrative of resilience and strategic prowess.