The return to the front row
For the first time after almost a year of waiting, Sergio Perez returns to the front row on the occasion of Japanese Grand Prix. A very positive performance from the Mexican, 2nd on the starting grid and at the same time very close to the pole position of his teammate Max Verstappen, who finished with an advantage of just 66 thousandths of a second.
Suzuka 2023 forgotten
After the misstep in Melbourne, which for the first time this season had denied Red Bull a potential 'hat trick' of doubles in the race, the Milton Keynes team returned to dominate with both its drivers in Suzuka, this time in qualification. A circuit that last year saw Perez start from fifth position at the end of a session rated by the person concerned as one of his worst.
The Mexican confirmed this to Sky Sport F1 in the post-qualifying interviews: “A few months ago here it was the worst qualifying I could have done, because what we had done with the balance and the set-up led me to find slightly crazy solutions and made me lose 7-8 tenths in some sectors of the track Max – he recalled – today, however, being able to keep up on a circuit like this It gives me a lot of confidence from a race perspective. If we can be fast in Suzuka it means we can be fast almost everywhere. I'm happy with that, and as for my lap I lost half a tenth right at the start, so I think pole was possible“.
The key to victory
Perez was not at all distant from Verstappen in the fight for pole, while for tomorrow's race the #11 has identified what could be the fundamental element to defeat the three-time world champion: “The key will be the start – he added – on the long run we are at the same level, so we will need to get off to a good start.”
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