Sergio Pérez went into Qualifying for the Monaco Grand Prix knowing it was set to be a tough session for the Racing Point F1 Team, and so it was proved as the Mexican could only qualify seventeenth on Saturday.
Pérez’s best time of 1:12.233 was not enough for him to escape the first segment of qualifying, and knowing just how important qualifying is around the Circuit de Monaco, it has left the Mexican feeling frustrated as it means a difficult race day lies ahead for him and the team.
“We have struggled for pace this weekend and going into qualifying we knew it wasn’t going to be easy,” said Pérez, who will start sixteenth thanks to a grid penalty for Antonio Giovinazzi. “In the end we needed a tenth or two to make the difference and progress to Q2, but we just missed out.
“In that sense it’s been a frustrating day because we know how important qualifying is in Monaco and it’s usually a race all about track position. The margins were small today, but it means we have a difficult job tomorrow.”
Pérez admits it will be difficult to score points on Sunday but knows that Monaco can sometimes be unpredictable, particularly if any of the forecasted rain falls during the race. He knows he will need to be in the mix to take any opportunity that falls his way.
“Considering where we will be starting the race, we have to hope for some rain to come and mix things up, otherwise it’s going to be difficult to score points,” said the Mexican.
“At the same time, Monaco can sometimes be unpredictable, so we will be ready to try and maximise those opportunities tomorrow.”
