Red Bull faces a minor setback in their quest for a third consecutive 1-2 at the beginning of the 2024 Formula 1 season. Sergio Perez was moved from third to sixth on the grid for the Australian Grand Prix due to an incident with Nico Hulkenberg. The incident took place during Q1 at tight turn number 13, towards the end of the lap. The stewards determined that Hulkenberg was forced to slow down and brake earlier because Perez’s Red Bull was slower at the apex of the corner. The Red Bull team failed to alert Perez to Hulkenberg’s presence until it was too late to avoid impeding him.
As a result of the decision, Perez’s grid position dropped from third to sixth. This change in position elevated Lando Norris, Charles Leclerc, and Oscar Piastri by one position each. Hulkenberg expressed his dissatisfaction with the incident after qualifying, suggesting that Perez was not paying attention and comparing his actions to a “Mexican siesta.” However, Hulkenberg did not believe that Perez was the sole reason for his 16th place on the grid, as the Haas team had already faced issues during a previous race.
Perez, who finished second behind Verstappen in the two previous races of the 2024 F1 season, always had to make up ground from a lower starting position. He started in fifth place in Bahrain and third place in Saudi Arabia. Despite the penalty, Perez believed there was more potential in his qualifying performance in Australia. He acknowledged that his first sector was not good and that he failed to put together the whole combination on his last attempt. However, Perez remained optimistic and eagerly awaited the race, anticipating a tough battle with Ferrari and the rest of the pack due to high tire wear. He believed that the starting position was not a significant factor at the moment.
