Max Verstappen may not have noticed much of a difference, but Sergio Perez would have been in pole position for the British GP tomorrow. Perez fell just sixty-six thousandths short of taking pole position, citing a mistake during his outlap as the reason for missing out.
Sergio Perez was a mere 0.066 seconds away from securing pole position. Following qualifying, the Mexican driver acknowledged that a mistake during his outlap had cost him the top spot.
“It was incredibly close with Max today, and I felt like it was a very strong lap,” Perez commented. “The conditions on the track were challenging, particularly during the outlap. It was easy to lose precious time in the final sector. We executed the fast lap quite well, but unfortunately, it wasn’t enough to clinch pole position.”
Mastering the Suzuka circuit requires a strong exit from the chicane and optimal speed down the start-finish straight towards the first corner. Perez admitted that something went awry during his outlap, affecting the beginning of his fast lap.
“We’ve been neck and neck all weekend, right through to qualifying. It all comes down to tiny margins, where every little detail can make a significant impact.”
“My exit from the chicane at the start of the fast lap wasn’t ideal, which could have altered the outcome. Nonetheless, we’re in a promising position for the race tomorrow.”
“Our pace during the long runs wasn’t as strong this morning, but we made improvements and are hopeful for a competitive showing in the race.”