Formula 1 | Pérez thinks he is ‘capable of coming back’ after his mistake

Sergio Pérez made a mistake which prevented him from improving on his last lap of Q3, going into a spin between the last two corners of the Zandvoort circuit. The Mexican will be fifth at the start and regrets this exit from the track.

« It was a mistake, accelerating I went too far on the outside, I hit the gravel and after that I lost the rear of the car. It’s a shame, but it’s like that » said the Red Bull driver. « I had gained a good three tenths from my previous time, so I think I could have gotten another tenth or tenth and a half and that would have put me fourth or even third. »

He now hopes to get back into the race and try to aim for a podium: « We have a good chance tomorrow, hopefully we’ll be able to come back. We’ll start on the right side of the track, and hopefully we can make good progress. »

Pérez admits having had a difficult weekend: « It wasn’t easy. We were struggling all weekend. It’s definitely a tougher weekend for us than in Belgium. »

« We will do our best tomorrow to make sure we are able to maximize everything. I think the layout, the characteristics and the temperatures of the track don’t work in our favor as much as in Belgium. »

Verstappen ‘impressed’ Horner in Q2

Christian Horner, the team principal, reflected on the performance of his team, which took pole position with Max Verstappen: « Max had a tough day yesterday, we were down so it was important to make up for it. »

« What impressed me the most in this qualifying was his lap on the worn tires in Q2. It saved him a set of tires for tomorrow. »

« Charles set a hell of a benchmark with that first run in Q3 and massive, really massive pressure to lap the fastest lap. But Max did it. He really gave it his all in sector 2. Really perfect lap, with a small gap which is vital for tomorrow’s race. »