Sergio Perez once again failed to secure a position on the front row after a disappointing qualifying session in Spielberg. The Red Bull Racing driver was nearly nine tenths of a second behind his teammate’s time, who secured pole position. Perez, who has underperformed this season, has only scored 112 points in ten races. He blamed using used soft tires for his inability to set a better time in qualifying. As a result, Perez will start in eighth place on the grid for Sunday’s race. This marks his ongoing struggle to secure a position on the front row since the Chinese Grand Prix earlier this season.
Perez expressed that a driver’s ability to perform well in qualifying depends on their adaptability to the track in a short period of time, which is an area where he faces difficulties. Despite this, he remains determined to gain positions in the challenging race at the Red Bull Ring. Meanwhile, Max Verstappen dominated the qualifying session in Austria, securing pole position for the eighth time this season. Verstappen attributed his success to using an older set of tires during the early stages of qualifying, which gave him an advantage. The team’s decision to run Q1 with used tires allowed him to push freely during the critical stages of Q3. This marks Verstappen’s return to the top of the grid since the Imola Grand Prix. He intends to seize this opportunity and secure victory in Sunday’s race.
