Max Verstappen shared his thoughts after Sergio Perez’s disappointing performance in qualifying for the 2024 British GP. Verstappen defended his teammate, stating that Perez was unlucky to end up in a gravel trap at Silverstone. Meanwhile, Verstappen secured a place on the second row of the grid for the race.
During the qualifying session, Perez ran wide at Copse on the damp track. In an attempt to recover, his car spun into the gravel, resulting in a red flag and a 19th place qualification. Verstappen faced a similar situation after the restart when rain returned, but he managed to keep his car on track and avoided a repeat of his infamous crash from three years ago.
Verstappen expressed his belief that winning a race or achieving success ultimately depends on one’s own abilities. While acknowledging the unfortunate circumstances that led to Perez’s elimination in Q1, Verstappen remained optimistic about his own chances in the race, taking into account the unpredictable weather conditions.
Q1 saw not only the Red Bulls, but also Kevin Magnussen encountering difficulties at Copse. This early exit from qualifying is a recurring pattern for Perez, reminiscent of his struggles in 2023 where he failed to reach Q3 for five consecutive races, including the British GP.
Although Perez did manage to start the Austrian GP in eighth position, his performance was marred by a collision with Oscar Piastri, resulting in a finish behind Nico Hulkenberg and Verstappen. Additionally, Verstappen faced penalties and an extra pit stop due to his collision with Lando Norris, while Perez’s pace in Canada led to his elimination in Q1, leaving Verstappen to battle against McLaren and Mercedes for the win.
Verstappen emphasized the element of luck in Perez’s situation, stating that the Mexican driver had shown promise in the car during the previous day’s FP2 session. Given the challenging weather conditions during qualifying, Verstappen believed that it would be unfair to judge Perez’s performance solely based on this weekend.
