Sergio Pérez said he was very happy after securing pole position for the second consecutive season in Saudi Arabia.
Pérez claimed his first pole position of the season around the Jeddah Corniche Circuit in an action-packed session that saw his team-mate not make it into Q3, and a battle with Fernando Alonso and Charles Leclerc for the all-important first position on the grid for Sunday’s race.
The Mexican has had a good weekend so far and will be hoping to get an opportunity tomorrow to win the race, with his team-mate down the grid and out of position.
“I certainly enjoy the track here in Jeddah. The car came alive at high speeds and I was able to push right to the limit to secure pole position. That said, it has been tricky today, so I’m very happy to come away with pole.
“It will be very interesting to see what happens in the race tomorrow, especially with some of the other cars running high downforce. As we saw last year, anything can happen. We have a good race car and showed strong race pace on Friday, so let’s hope Max can also push up the grid and together, we can aim for maximum points for the Team.”
Max Verstappen – “Anything is possible at this track”
Pérez’s team-mate Verstappen did not have a good day on track, with the Dutchman making a shock Q2 exit giving him work to do on Sunday.
Verstappen had been the clear heavy favourite for pole after dominating all three of the practice sessions at the quickest street circuit in Formula 1. However, a driveshaft issue caused him to return to the Red Bull garage midway meaning he will start Sunday’s race in fifteenth place.
Having launched his hunt for a third successive drivers’ title with an impressive victory in Bahrain earlier this month, Verstappen now has to have his work cut out to continue his challenge for the drivers’ title.
“The driveshaft broke out of turn 10 on the right rear so that was it for qualifying. It happened really out of the blue, we hadn’t had any issues before that. It was annoying because the car was good up until then, I was comfortable in every session and every time I was on the track, I was quick, so for sure we could have fought for pole. Instead, we now have a bit more work ahead of us tomorrow but it is what it is, it is a long Championship and we will stay positive.
“I think a win is tricky from that position but I will try to score as many points as possible. It will be hard to get to the front, but we won’t give up. Anything is possible at this track, we have seen some crazy things here, but we have to be realistic. It will be tough but we have good pace so, for sure, we will move forward.”
